


Shatterstar

by DouxNoire



Series: Beyond the Painted Veil [1]
Category: Lego Ninjago, The LEGO Ninjago Movie (2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Mythology, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Blood Drinking, Blood and Gore, Blood and Injury, Blood and Violence, Body Horror, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, Death, Folklore, Graphic Description, GreenFlame - Freeform, Horror, Human!Zane, M/M, Magic, Non-Consensual Blood Drinking, Nya and Kai are not related, Possessive Behavior, Possessive! Cole, Possessive! Kai, Sadistic!Cole, Sadistic!Kai, Vampire!Kai, Violence, Witchcraft, bruiseshipping - freeform, vampire!Cole
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-05
Updated: 2020-07-16
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:49:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 32,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25082653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DouxNoire/pseuds/DouxNoire
Summary: Jay stood up and dragged the groggy boy to his feet. He didn’t turn back as he took Lloyd’s hand and dragged him to the woods. They were closer to them, and the brunette didn’t trust himself to make it to the cabin with Lloyd. Cutting into the brush, Jay held onto the blonde's hand like a lifeline. He wasn’t brave enough to look behind them. Hell, he wasn’t even brave enough to keep moving forward.If only he had strength to scream.
Relationships: Cole/Jay Walker, Lloyd Garmadon/Kai
Series: Beyond the Painted Veil [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1817374
Comments: 84
Kudos: 83





	1. Colère Noire

**Author's Note:**

> The was originally going to be bruiseshipping and oppositeshipping, but then I watched the episode where Kai finds his true potential. This it turned to bruiseshipping and greenflame. This has explicit violence and gore. Nya and Kai are not related in this fic. This is purely a gory story I wanted to write. I love horror and the angst. I just wanted a Ninjago slaughter fest with sexy vampires. So sue me. No flames please. I wanted a Vampire Cole Fic, no one was giving it to me so I wrote one.

Twenty-two years old and newly christened college grad, Jay Walker, was currently battling his greatest nemesis: boredom. Being trapped in a moving vehicle for hours on end, with four other people, was not the usual way the blue-clad boy spent his weekends. Normally, he’d be in his room with sugary, high calorie drinks, several plates of pizza and nachos, and screaming at his television while playing Call of Duty. Sat in his rolling gamer chair, Jay had all the freedom and mobility he desired. Unlike now. He sat, squashed in the back between Zane and Lloyd, unable to move without jostling one of his seat mates. Saying it was uncomfortable was the understatement of the century. Jay was slowly but surely going insane. 

Who’s idea was it to go on a damn camping trip? In the middle of Bum-fuck, Nowhere? Population: Who cares?

If he thought it would get them there any faster, Jay would sell his soul. He could not take this. He supposed though, if he didn’t want to be in this mess, he should’ve fought harder for going to the amusement park. He and Lloyd had been outvoted by the other three, who wanted to opt for something quieter and more intimate. Jay understood **_why_ ** the other three decided on camping. It didn’t mean he **_had_ ** to like the outcome. He’d done enough pouting and whining though, Jay wouldn’t spoil the moment.

This would be their last hurrah together, before the corporate world swallowed them up and spit them into their respective roles. For one last time, they got to be without the rules and expectations of society. In a bid to end school life on a note of camaraderie, the five friends wanted to have a final adventure. Rides and overpriced snacks would only get in the way of a proper goodbye.

Nya, designated the navigator, and thus given shotgun, had taken a job at a hospital clear across the country. She had trained hard to become an LPN and would finally begin her career in helping others. She and Skylor frequented the same gym and became each other’s spotting partner. It was nice to have someone to help you out with the equipment. 

Skylor, finally finished with her business degree, was set to take over the Chen Noodle Dynasty. Her father had gifted her the car they were currently riding in because of said accomplishment. The red-headed girl had been driving for the better part of the day, but refused to let anyone else take over. It was her car, Skylor bristled at them, so she’d be the only one driving it. It was settled.

Lloyd and Skylor had bonded as legacy children and met in their shared business classes. Being the successor of Garmadon Industries meant the green boy had big shoes to fill once his father stepped down. The two rich kids had come together because they felt overwhelmed by their future. They both had worries about not being able to live up to the expectations placed on them. It was nice to have someone who just understood. 

The blond boy also minored in Computer Programming, since his father was expanding the business to include electronic development. That’s where he’d met Zane, during his sophomore year. The silver-haired boy in question had a way with machines. He was only taking Computer Programming as a pre-req for Robotics. It was a chance meeting, and both boys were glad for it. Lloyd couldn’t understand any of the homework, so Zane graciously offered to tutor him. His patience and analogies were the only reason the young Garmadon passed that year. Jay was Zane’s roommate since their majors were similar. Jay decided to pursue Engineering because he loved to tinker. So, due to the circumstances, inevitably, Lloyd and Jay met. The blue boy had taken to the blonde easily enough, he _**was**_ little brother material after all. 

The crew had gradually come together. They all had to walk around Ninjago University’s campus. There were thousands of people, so a familiar face among the crowd was a godsend. Whenever one of them saw someone they knew, they’d give a casual wave. That was a small invitation to save them from their growing agoraphobia. Of course, more often than not, the recipient of ‘the wave’ would have mercy and wade through the throng of people. Sometimes, they weren’t alone. 

That was how they all met, chance meetings through mutual friends. Binge watching Grey’s Anatomy, cooking together, and being awkwardly left alone in the same room led to them growing closer. When all the pressure got to be too much, they’d seek each other out for comfort. Pizza Friday’s were a pastime, just like Zane’s cooking. 

Jay sighed softly, he knew they’d all try to keep in contact. _**Try**_ being the operative word. Their dreams and goals were taking them in different directions, and it just wasn’t fair to expect that nothing would change. It wouldn’t be fair to be upset about camping either. Jay sucked up his childish droning when his companions got fed up with it.

To be honest, calling it camping was a stretch. They weren’t even going to be outside. Like Chen and Garmadon would let their kids sleep on the **_ground_**. The two men had taken the “liberty” of handpicking some luxurious cabins in the mountain side. They were also going to get them plane tickets, but both Skylor and Lloyd had put their foot down. The whole point of a road trip was to be **_on_ ** the road. A compromise was reached: The five friends could drive to one of chosen cabins, but that was as far as the two dads were budging.

It could have been much worse. Going to a cabin was better than the alternatives. Jay didn’t even want to entertain those options. Thankfully, Chen and Garmadon had chosen a good amount of cabins, so it actually **_felt_ **like they had some control. They had ended up choosing a beautiful one by a small, crystalline pond. It was a charming light colored log cabin, with a fire pit that overlooked the water. It was embedded deep in the forest.

The quiet, serene environment would create a space for memories to fill. There were so many stories to reminisce over. Lloyd’s coming out was one of the best. The poor blonde had worked himself into hysterics over telling his dad. He was convinced he’d be disowned and have to learn how to use public transportation. It finally came to a head. Lloyd was a stuttering mess, while the other four stood by for moral support.

“Dad, I have something to tell you.”  
  
“Lloyd, I know you’re gay. You left your stash of magazines in the closet.”

Mortified couldn’t even **_begin_ ** to describe what the green boy felt. Imagine your dad finding your porn collection and not saying anything about it until years later. Gaping, the flustered boy all but shrieked.

“ACTUALLY, I’M _**BI**_!!”

“That’s fine too. Did you really think I’d care?”

“What? But… I? You?”

“Lloyd, I can’t understand incomplete sentences.”

By that point, everyone knew Garmadon was teasing his son. It was a known fact that despite the ruthless way he conducted business, the CEO loved his only child with all his heart. Nothing would ever get in the way of that. Jay burst out laughing. Poor Lloyd looked like he needed a blood transfusion, but gladly accepted his father’s hug.

That had been one of the many good memories they shared. Now, it wasn’t always sunshine and rainbows. They pissed each other off, got on each other’s nerves, and had given the silent treatment more than once. Through all that, though, their friendship grew and strengthened. Hopefully, it’d be strong enough to stand the test of growing up. 

Skylor _**finally**_ took the last turn, and her shiny amber Bentley drove into the woods. They had opted to wait on taking their road trip, setting the date for autumn. Leaves hung overhead, already starting their transition from emerald green to spotted sunburst. Hues of orange and red blended together, and some of them had begun their descent to the ground below. Gnarled branches seemed to be reaching for their car, ready to scoop them up in bony, gray-brown hands. It was ethereal, Jay felt like he was in another world. 

Autumn was one his favorite times of the year, second only to spring. Everything was waking up in the springtime. Little buds would greet the sun and open with love. But fall had its own rustic charm. Who knew death could be so beautiful?

Shadows ran past them as they continued to drive, until the silhouettes suddenly broke. The cabin sat in front of them, in all of its simple beauty. The paleness of the logs showcased the white birch it was made of. A charcoal colored roof sloped up dramatically like they did in storybooks. Large windows looked out toward them, like crystal clear eyes. The glow of sunset bled through the windows, setting the inside of the cabin ablaze with color. A crooked stone path led up from the driveway. It was like the cute little home was greeting them, and would continue to for the next week. 

Jay burst out of the car, thanking the Lord that it was finally over, and kissed the ground. Everyone knew he couldn’t stand tight spaces. The blue boy was a free spirit, if he was ever caged up, he’d get fidgety. His hands would tap nervously and his legs would shake back and forth. Zane would usually put a gentle hand on his knees to stop them from knocking and guide him outside when it got bad. Jay thanked him for knowing how to deal with an anxious friend, even one as annoying as him.

The silver-haired boy chuckled at his friend’s antics. Zane quickly hopped out and made his way to the trunk to get his overnight bag. They didn’t have much to unload. Chen and Garmadon made sure to contact the owners of the cabin so they had pre-stocked food and refreshments. They hadn’t wanted the kids to try to travel to the local grocery store. It took too long. With the days shortening more and more, the two father’s couldn’t risk them traveling in the dark. 

All the college grads had to do was pack, and once they got there, they’d just have to deal with picking the rooms. Everyone had enough space to claim one, however, they’d probably end up sharing some nights. Grabbing his white backpack, Zane stood by and waited for everyone to get their belongings. When everyone had everything, they headed to the front door. Nya, ever the responsible one, pulled the key out of her pocket and let them in. 

The inside was grand, with hardwood floors and a spiraling staircase that took them to the second floor. As the five walked up, the hardwood turned into plush carpet. Breaking off, each one of them decided on a room and set their bags down. They made their way back down to the kitchen once ‘The Choosing,’ as Skylor called it, was over. Six hours of driving was enough to drive a person mad with hunger. 

Jay was the first one there. He took in the slate marble of the countertops and the deep cherrywood cabinets that matched the floor. Opening the fridge, the blue boy nearly wept at the selection before them. Lloyd and Skylor’s fathers knew them well. Over the years, the two men learned what the others liked. The quintet came over so often during breaks, they had their own rooms in the respective houses. Chen liked to call them invaders. That man was so strange.

Hearing Lloyd groan behind him, Jay already had an idea of what made the green boy irritated. Garmadon demanded that his son eat vegetables, which the younger despised. It seemed he would never grow out of the ‘vegetables are icky’ stage. He still preferred sweets above all else. At least there was some potato chips and frozen treats courtesy of the other dad. Chen was a lot less strict when it came to diet, indulging them with pasta from his noodle empire. The man also had one heck of a sweet tooth. 

“What do we have?” 

Zane’s silken voice echoed through the kitchen. The two girls came in behind him, laughing over a joke. Jay was glad Zane was here. No one, besides the white-clad boy, could cook. Between the four of them, they could barely boil water. Skylor and Lloyd never had to learn to cook for themselves, so Jay supposed it wasn’t their fault.

Nya and Jay, on the other hand, usually just went with making normal college food. An abysmal variety of ramen, juice boxes, and whatever they could get on their student cash cards. Classes got in the way of a hearty meal nearly everyday. By the time they were done with school, they were too tired to cook. Jay didn’t know how Zane did it. The boy always had energy to cook. He had to be a robot or something. 

“There’s some of everything. I vote stir-fry. It’s quick and easy,” Nya chimed in, as practical as ever. Leave it to her to think about all their needs. To be frank, asking Jay or Lloyd what they wanted on an empty stomach was too stressful to go through. Lloyd never cared, and Jay could never decide. It was the equivalent of talking to a wall. Lord knew it was easier to ignore them entirely.

“Chicken stir-fry sounds delicious. I will make sure to double the meat for Lloyd.” 

“Thanks, Zane. I can’t believe Dad got all these veggies. Yuck.”

“You know your father only desires to make sure you’re healthy.”

“I know, I know. I just wish he wasn’t so damn persistent about it.”

“Ah, don’t be like that Lloyd, on the trip back, we’ll sneak you some candy,” Skylor piped up cheerfully. The red-haired girl was measuring the rice and put it in the cooker with the necessary amount of water. She spoke again, “We should go out and gather wood for the fire, it’ll get dark soon.”

“Zane’s good here, I’ll go out with Jay and get the firewood. Nya can set up the pit.”

“So nice of you to volunteer me, Lloyd. I’ll have you know, I was planning a nice, relaxing session of trying out my bed.”

“Come on, Jay, there’s plenty of time to do that later. I know you wanna explore. This is killing two birds with one stone.”

“Fine, fine, you know me way too well. Let’s get going while there’s still some daylight.”

**XXXXXXXX**

A brisk wind had picked up outside, making Jay glad he had put on a hoodie. Trees rustled with the breeze, swaying to and fro in the waning sunlight. The sky was painted a deep pink that gave way to orange as it got closer to the horizon. It’d be dark within the hour. They’d better make this fast. 

Leaves crunched loudly with each step they took, while Jay and Lloyd gathered some branches. The sun was reflecting off the pond, making it look like there were two skies right on top of each other. The surface was so still, there was barely a ripple, but for the wind. It was so peaceful out here. There was no noise, there were no distractions, it was just pure serenity. Jay could hear the water lapping at the edge, content with teasing the ground with dew drops. Okay, so he was wrong, maybe the amusement park wouldn’t have been better than this. Jay could admit that he was mistaken. Maybe not out loud, but in his own mind, the brunette could come clean about how blown away he was. 

Continuing to walk with Lloyd, he picked up some of the thicker twigs that would burn better, helping the other to do the same. The young Garmadon heir had known nothing about the outdoors, and it took Jay and the others some time to help him learn. This hadn’t been their first excursion out in the woods, though, it was the first time they’d been so far from civilization. The last time they’d “camped,” it had been in Skylor’s humongous backyard. Chen could look out and see them from the house. Jay had made fires with his parents in the junkyard, so he had an idea of what burned well. They needed some branches, accelerant, and paper scraps to make a nice bit of hearth.

“Jay?”

“Hm?”

“I’m really scared.”

“Whaddya mean?”

“I guess I just mean, I’m scared to lose you guys. Like, what am I supposed to do without you? I’m going to take over my dad’s company. What if I mess up? What if I make a mistake and destroy all his hard work? I won’t be able to run to your room to hide with blankets and ice cream anymore.” Lloyd had a bad habit of not being able to stop fretting once he got started.

“Whoa. Whoa. Hey, don’t get yourself all worked up. Your dad wouldn’t hand over his company if he didn’t believe in you. Besides, good ol’ Garmadon cares more about you than anything. It wouldn’t matter if you messed up, he wouldn’t get mad.”

The blonde boy did not look reassured in the slightest. His eyebrows were still furrowed and he looked to be on the verge of pulling his hair out. Thankfully, Lloyd’s hands were full. 

“Look, if you ever need to, call me and I’ll be there. Okay? Just because I’m not down the hall, doesn’t mean I won't be. Adulthood doesn’t have to be the end.”

Jay was never the best at comforting others, but by God, he would try. The little green bean was too precious to worry. Lloyd had been so naive when he met him. Even though they were the same age, the blonde still gave off an air of child-like innocence. Garmadon hadn’t meant to shelter his son from the world, he just wanted Lloyd to have the best education money could buy. That meant going to a private school. Ninjago University was the only place where he had mingled with the regular masses. The green-clad boy was shy, he didn’t really know how to talk to others. Jay had no idea how the blonde survived his freshman year without them.

Their group took care of one another. Zane always cooked for them and Nya always made sure they were prepared. Honestly, they were like the parents that kept them all in line. Skylor was just fun and witty, and unlike Lloyd, she had experience with the real world. Chen had let her attend a public high school after being home-schooled. She had been like Lloyd back then, but grew into a vivacious young woman. She helped the green bean out of his shell. But little parts of the sheltered boy still eked out every so often. When they did, the four of them would be there to make sure Lloyd was alright.

Despite Jay’s lack of motherly tendencies, Lloyd at least looked marginally peppier. The blue boy counted that as a win. He’d meant every word he said. If any of his friends needed him, Jay was always a phone call away. 

“Thanks, I’m sorry. There’s just so much riding on me.”

“I get it. Don’t worry about it. It gets to us all from time to time. We should head ba-.”

A snapping sound went off somewhere in the woods. He couldn’t pinpoint it exactly, so Jay surveyed the area around them. The trees were starting to bleed together as the sky grew to a deep purple. The orange glow of the sun was diminishing and taking its warmth with it, but there was still a bit of light. They weren’t far from the cabin.

Another snap and some rustling. Was it an animal? Jay wondered if they were close to any wildlife. It wouldn’t be **_impossible_** , considering where they were. He just hoped it was only a deer, and not something of the predator variety. The footsteps didn’t sound like an animal though. There had been too few. 

Again, the crackle of twigs reached his ears, and he noticed Lloyd was looking around too. The blonde clung to the firewood tightly as his eyes flit frantically across the forest. At least Jay knew he wasn’t the only one who heard it. That provided some relief, he wasn’t going crazy. It didn’t last long, though, because now the twigs were snapping much faster. Something was coming their way. More than a little freaked out, Jay used his elbow to nudge Lloyd’s. Once the brunette got his attention, he used his head to point to the cabin. Lloyd nodded and they started walking back. They were ready to get the fuck out of there.

Whatever was out there decided it didn’t like to be ignored. 

Jay heard the rapid swishing of something running through the trees at a quick pace. He still didn’t know where it was coming from. It sounded like it was getting closer. If something was out here, he didn’t want to lead it back to the cabin. He couldn’t just stay out here with Lloyd either, it wasn’t safe.

“Jay?!”

Footsteps were running at them. He heard the thump, thump, thump and whatever it was was nearly upon them. Jay decided it was time to quit fooling around and just book it. He bumped Lloyd, ready to take off, making sure the green boy knew to follow his lead. Okay, ready… GO! 

Jay didn’t make it very far.

The brunette ran full force into what could only be described as a brick wall. His firewood went everywhere, and Jay fell onto his back with a hard thwack. What the hell? Had he crashed into a tree? **_Seriously_**?! He’d gotten so freaked, lost all manner of sense, and ran headlong into a tree. Leave it to Jay to embarrass himself in nature. Groaning at the force of the impact, blue eyes squinted open. A face stared down at him. _So it **wasn’t** a tree_.

The retreating light illuminated the boy in front of him. He was **_tall_** , with muscle packed on his frame, though he looked to be on the leaner side. He was shaped like a boxer from what Jay could tell. His hair was dark and hung in front of black eyes that glinted green in what remained of the daytime. That gaze smoldered, and the frown that accompanied it was almost apathetic. The boy would be handsome, if he didn’t look like he could care less about life. Dressed in all black, Jay could make out combat boots and a leather jacket. _Who in the hell is he_?

Whoever he was, Jay didn’t like how he was looking at him. It was like he was looking at a lesser lifeform. It was as if the blue boy was an ant, and this guy was debating on whether or not to step on him. It made Jay sick. His eyes looked like they were glowing. The brunette was understandably confused when that frown turned into a sheepish smile. Had he imagined the previous look on the mystery guy’s face?

“Sorry, I didn’t think you’d run into me.”

That voice was deep and velvety. It sounded like the other boy didn’t talk much, but it was such a nice voice. It was almost soothing, that, and he didn’t mind Jay’s stupidity. A hand reached down to him, and the blue boy took it, registering the feel of leather and bare fingertips. This guy was really living up the punk aesthetic. 

“No, I’m sorry. I should’ve been watching where I was going.”

“Yeah, you should have.” The boy laughed, and Jay found it pleasant.

“Who are you?”

“Name’s Cole. Kai and I live on the other side of the pond. We’re out here a lot. We didn’t recognize you.”

Jay’s eyes widened. There was another cabin? That explained some things. Right, where was Lloyd? He had forgotten about Lloyd as soon as he, quite literally, ran into Cole. Glancing around, Jay saw the blonde standing and talking with who he assumed was Kai.

Said boy had on what looked to be in a red hoodie, with a dark shirt underneath and baggy blue jeans. His hands were buried in the front pocket of his attire and he was leaning down while he spoke to Jay’s shorter friend. His hair was spiked up and he could see a smirk on his face. He was more casually dressed than Cole, especially since he was wearing red Converse. There was a small white bandage on his cheek that seemed to be more for fashion instead of necessity. Lloyd was curled in on himself and was holding the firewood gingerly. The green boy appeared to be almost bashful in front of Kai. 

“What are you doing out here?” Cole’s voice stole Jay’s attention away from the other two. He looked back to the black-clad boy. 

“Oh, we’re renting a cabin out here. Lloyd and I were getting wood for a fire before making our way back to the others.”

“That makes sense. Kai and I saw you and were wondering about that. We came over to ask what was up. Sorry if we scared you, this place can get creepy at sunset. No one here is our age, so when we saw you guys, we just got curious.”

“I get it, two people you’ve never seen before, out in the woods. You don’t know if they’re dangerous so you go to scope them out. Totally don’t blame you, I would’ve done the same thing.”

“Well, I can clearly see you’re not some weird ass hillbilly, or burglar. So I guess Kai and I should head back.”

Jay didn’t know what compelled him to say the next words that came tumbling out of his mouth. Inexplicably, he didn’t want Cole to go. He and Kai were around their age, surely their friends wouldn’t mind the company. Besides, who knows how long it’d been since they had someone to talk to. Most people who owned cabins out here were older folks in their twilight years. It would also be five versus two if things ended up going south.

“Maybe you guys could come hang with us?”

“You think that’s okay?”

“I don’t see why not. Hey, Lloyd?” The green boy looked at him and huffed. Guess he was rather excited about talking to Kai. So excited, in fact, he didn’t want to be interrupted. Well, _**sorry**_. 

“You wanna invite them to meet the crew?”

“Yeah, I already asked Kai.” Jay nodded at the blonde, of course he already asked. Lloyd went back to talking to the other boy. The blue boy, in turn, looked back at Cole.

“See? Not a problem. Let’s go. Just let me pick up the stuff I dropped.”

Jay bent down to pick up the wood as Lloyd led the way back to the cabin. He never saw the feral grin Cole sent Kai. The noirette was happy. It looked like they didn’t have to go _**out**_ to eat this time.

**XXXXXXXXX**

“.... and that was how Jay ended up locked in a closet.” Laughter surrounded the fire pit, as the seven, seemingly twenty somethings told stories.

“In my defense, it was the only place to hide. I didn’t know it was one of those closets that locked from the outside. I was stuck there until my professor found me.”

Once they made it back to the cabin, with Cole and Kai in tow, the other three were already outside waiting. The food was done, and Nya was on standby with the accelerant in hand. The pit had been dressed up with paper to burn, so all Lloyd and Jay had to do was put their firewood down in the opening.

They explained how they ran into the two newcomers out in the woods. Cole and Kai filled in the details. They told the others how they lived on the other side of the large pond, and usually roamed around the forest for fun. Everyone chuckled when Cole told them how Jay ran into him and fell on the ground.

If there had been any tension about the two, it immediately dissipated as soon as the black-haired boy said that. Jay’s clumsiness never failed to break the ice. Cole and Kai had been immediately welcomed. They declined to eat, but they grabbed some chairs and sat around the fire.

Jay blushed when Cole sat next to him, grateful it couldn’t be seen in the glow. Once they sat down, the stories immediately began to fly over the pit. Even with two people who knew none of the context, words flowed easily. They were thoroughly entertained by the group's shenanigans. 

Right now, they were talking about how Jay had been trying to turn in a late assignment. His professor was a hardass who never accepted late work, no matter the circumstance. Jay had the bright idea to sneak in during his lunch break to try and turn in his math homework. He panicked when he heard someone walking down the hall. Instead of just leaving like a normal person, the brunette jumped in the closet. Subsequently, he was locked in. Until the next day. When his teacher found him. And he _**still**_ got a zero on his math homework. 

Cole was snickering next to him. Though he was extremely red-faced, Jay was happy that the other boy was having a good time. The blue boy had known he was gay for a long time, and Cole was really good looking. Nothing would come of it, but Jay surmised it was okay to ogle him a bit. No harm, no foul. Kai sat across the fire from his friend, snug between Skylor and Lloyd. The green boy was definitely flustered by the closeness. 

It was amazing how easily they fit in. But it was the nature of people their age. College taught them to roll with the punches. They were always in the midst of people they didn’t know or just met. They learned to adapt. Making friends wasn’t hard when they ran in the same circles. Nights always ended with a couple of new numbers and people to hang with. It wasn’t really a surprise Cole and Kai fit in like old friends. 

They were pretty chill dudes. They contributed to the conversation, laughed at the appropriate times, and made funny remarks when it suited them. Jay felt as though if he’d met them in university, they’d all be close. The brunette wondered why he felt so at ease, but chalked it up to the fact that Cole had a nice smile. Their initial interaction in the forest was long forgotten. 

A natural lull stalled the flow of stories, so Kai decided to interject. He was the more vocal of the two, while Cole was more reserved. Jay wondered how they had become friends. They were like night and day. Well, opposites _**did**_ attract.

“Maybe we should tell scary stories.” He could have sworn he saw Kai’s eyes glow gold for a moment, but quickly dismissed it.

“That’s a great idea!” Nya was into gory tales. It really threw Jay for a loop when he found out she liked them. It just didn’t fit with how he pictured her. They all had their own quirks though, so it didn’t matter. The giddy look on Nya’s face was much too endearing to deny her anyway.

“Sweet. Okay, so here it goes,” Kai dropped his voice a few octaves,” this is a true story, and it happened somewhere in these woods.”

“Ooo, spooky.”

“A few hundred years ago, a group of six settlers came to the New World and tried to make a home. Two families were just trying to start anew.”

“They tried to plant crops, but nothing would grow. The woods took all of the nutrients and left the land barren.”

“Desperate and starving, they caught wind of a local mountain woman from the natives. She would make their crops grow for a price.”

“That’s not suspect at all.”

“Hey, when you’re desperate, you’re desperate.” Kai broke character a bit and then dove right back in.

“The mountain woman told them that their harvest would yield fruit in exchange for their two children. Two little boys they’d bought with them. They wanted them to grow up in the promised land. To grow up free.”

“Though tears were shed, ultimately the families were pushed to agree. They tried to refuse, but still, nothing would grow. Game was scarce when you tried to hunt on an empty stomach. They gave her the boys, reasoning they could have more children later.”

“Jeez, rude much?” Skylor’s lip was curled in disgust.

“On the night of the full moon, she stole the children’s souls from their bodies. The mountain woman sold them to the Devil, in exchange for a plentiful harvest.”

“What she didn’t realize was the children did not die that night. They were transformed into something _**unholy**_.” Out of the corner of his eye, Jay thought he saw Cole grin. 

“The children woke that night. Soulless, black-eyed and hungry.”

“Oh, my.” Zane was such an old man.

“They went home to their families and killed them. They ripped them to pieces and drank their blood. They had new fangs and claws, made for tearing flesh. There was nothing left but stains when they were finished.”

“Fuck.” Someone, Jay wasn’t sure who, expressed the sentiment perfectly. 

“They weren’t done. They returned to the home of the mountain woman, and murdered her in cold blood. They were born of the Devil, so they were immune to her powers. The children bore His gifts. He would not let her destroy what He made.”

“The cursed children aged to adulthood then stopped. They were damned to walk the earth stuck in time. They shed the blood of innocents in their rage.”

Kai finally stopped talking, but Jay felt like the story wasn’t finished. The air around them was still with an electric unease. Everyone was silent. Then Nya asked the question on everyone’s mind.

“What happened to the children?”

A voice next Jay was the one who spoke this time. It chilled him to the bone.

“I’m so _**glad**_ you asked.” He could hear the sneer in Cole’s tone, but didn’t want to look at him. 

Jay couldn’t see the face Kai was making, but he could see Lloyd trembling. The irrevocable feeling of dread clawed through him. The boy in red finished the sentence.

“They’re right here.”

Then… **_all hell broke loose_**.

**XXXXXXXXX**

At first, Jay couldn’t comprehend what was happening in front of him. Skylor had been fine, she **_had_ ** been. The redhead had a look of mild terror on her face because of the story. The brunette was sure his expression mirrored hers. But then, she wasn’t fine **_at all_**.

Rivulets of blood were cascading down her neck and spilling all over her pretty peach top, staining it with the scent of iron. He could hear her gurgling as her mouth filled with dark red. Jay hadn’t seen what happened, but Kai’s lips were pulled back in the flickering light. Two white pinpricks elongated into sharp points. He saw the boy lift a hand to his mouth, it dripped with crimson life. Jay didn’t register that Kai was licking the blood off his hand until it was clean. Black claws gleamed onyx, and Nya started screaming.

Jay recoiled so harshly, he threw himself back into the chair. Confusion and fear battled inside his mind. He didn’t understand what was happening. Then Kai got up, causing everyone to flinch, and slammed Skylor to the ground. She whimpered. Strong, confident Skylor **_whimpered_** , but the monster on top of her didn’t seem to care. It wasn’t interested in mercy. The fire pit was blocking everything, Jay couldn’t see what Kai was doing, but he didn’t have to to know what was happening.

On the other side, Skylor was staring into shining golden eyes. Petrified, she watched Kai’s tongue slowly come out of his mouth and lick his lips clean. As the appendage traveled over his top lip, a drop of her own blood fell on her. Mixed with the slick of saliva, it ran over her cheek and down to grass.

“N-No, p-please.”

“Those words are lost on me.” Kai’s voice was but a sensual whisper. She choked on air, too terrified to cry. Her breaths were shuddering, she could only stare at the beautiful creature above her. Kai smirked while Skylor paled. She wished she had the courage to scream.

Wrenching her hand from the wound, Kai bit into her neck savagely. She tasted so sweet. He _**missed**_ this. He could feel flesh break underneath his fangs as they tore through muscle and sinew. He could feel the arteries and veins tearing with the force, snapping taut before giving way. The chunk of meat he latched onto broke away with a sick squelching sound that was music to his ears. Her throat was ripped from her body. Tears fell from frozen ruby eyes, the pupils had dilated until there was no black left before glazing over with death.

Kai wasn’t done. These weak little humans tore under his hands like paper, he feasted on their fear. It made them taste **_so much_ **better. His claws peeled back the skin, exposing the inner workings of Skylor’s body. He broke open her ribs to get to her heart. It still hadn’t gotten the message that its host was dead. It beat erratically as he pulled back the ribcage with a disgusting crack. He heard the echo sound through the night and relished it. He pulled the chaotically thumping organ from Skylor’s corpse.

He flayed it open with his teeth and the ruby elixir poured out. Kai drank deeply. He ripped chunk after chunk off and swallowed each piece. God, he _**needed**_ this. Looking down, Kai tucked a strand of crimson red hair behind her ear. His claws delicately sliced dead flesh when he did so. It was the only mark on her otherwise untouched face.

The gaping hole on her throat was jagged, uneven cuts sloughed off layers before delving deep into the chasm. Capillaries were a mess, hanging into the open wound. The bare, exposed muscle of her chest glistened by the fire with ichor. Skylor’s mouth still hung open, a silent shriek that would never end. Slowly Kai stood, he was not satisfied.

When Jay saw the red boy appear again, his mind went into overdrive. Scrambling to get up, his only reaction was to get away. A tiny detail slipped his mind, though. A hand reached out, quick as a whip, and crushed Jay’s wrist in its grasp. Crying out, the brunette dared himself to look and immediately froze.

Cole stared at him, his eyes were glowing a radioactive black-green. A manic smile graced those dark features, and his sharp canines dipped over his lips. Jay could feel claws digging into the flesh, the pain mingled seamlessly with the agony of his broken wrist. He tried to fight and run. Using his other hand, his unmarred hand, The brunette frantically tried to remove Cole, ripping at the other’s fingertips. He didn’t care if it was to no avail, he just needed to get away from this **_demon_**. 

Then, Cole stood up. Jay thought he was tall earlier, but now he looked gigantic. Those eyes bore into him, flayed him open and violated every orifice of his mind. That searing gaze was burning him alive, scorching Jay from the inside out. It was dragging something vital out of him, he knew it was, and the blue boy writhed and struggled. He didn’t even try hitting Cole, lest he damage his other wrist. That horrible grin widened even more, like a Cheshire cat, and he opened his mouth.

“Going somewhere, Bluebell?” 

Cole’s voice, that voice that the blue boy liked so much earlier, caused his insides to churn. The melodic tone only made it more twisted and monstrous. Jay wanted to throw up, but he could feel his throat closing. He gasped for air. That gaze was suffocating and his lungs threatened to explode in horror. He couldn’t even beg. Cole was going to kill him, he was going to die here.

Crying in earnest, Jay’s only focus was to run, and he couldn’t even do that. He tugged against the hand, his personal restraint, fighting against the excruciating pain. Vaguely, he took notice of Nya’s screaming. Her throat had to be raw, the decibel was deafening. Where was Zane? Where was Lloyd? They were so quiet.

Suddenly, the hand on his wrist let go, and Jay’s mind broke into glass shards as Cole roared. Blinking away the tears and pain, the brunette weakly acknowledged his new freedom. Tumbling to the ground, he tried to sit up and accidentally put weight on his bad hand. Wincing, Jay bit his lip to keep from crying out. Looking around, he nearly had a meltdown as he looked over to Zane. The silver-haired boy had a mangled chair in his hands. A chair he had apparently used against Cole, which shattered upon impact. It hadn’t done anything to the black-haired male except infuriate him.

The useless piece of furniture trembled in Zane’s white knuckled grip as he got caught in Cole’s horrible, black-green gaze. Freezing, Zane yelled what he knew would be his last words to the fallen blue boy. 

“Jay, protect Lloyd! Get him out of here!”

Lloyd? Holy shit. The brunette had no idea where he was! He had been so focused on what happened to Skylor. Searching and carefully standing without the aid of his left hand, Jay surveyed the scene before him. Nya had stopped screaming. At some point she must have fallen to the ground. The blue boy could see her backing away from Kai. She was trying to stand and run, but her legs were quaking too badly to support her. She just kept backing away while falling over and over. 

The red boy was crawling toward her, on all fours, lithe and lean like a prowling tiger. Jay could do nothing for her as Kai decided to pounce. Nya tried to scream again, but it was cut off when Kai’s sharp nails immediately stabbed her in the throat. She choked and sputtered, while Kai put one finger to his lips, telling her to be quiet. He picked Nya up, she didn’t fight, and made her look at Zane. All his friend could do was cry as she watched the white-clad boy and Cole. There was no helping Nya. Jay nearly wept.

“Zane! I can’t leave you!”

“Forget about me! I won’t let them hurt my friends!” 

Zane was a liar to the end, Cole wouldn’t let him make it out of here alive. He swung the remaining pieces of chair at the beast. The green eyed monster caught his wrist and growled. With hidden strength, though not surprising, Cole ripped the blonde’s arm off with a bloodthirsty roar. He tossed the arm aside and attacked Zane full force.

Jay watched his roommate get torn to pieces, Cole was merciless. He kicked Zane down, and stomped hard on his leg. Taking the arm that was still attached, the noirette pressed down with his booted foot, cracking the bones beneath. Zane screamed, and kept screaming when Cole moved his foot to the silver-haired boy’s hip.

Immediately, Cole applied enough force to Zane’s hip to keep him from crawling away. He pulled the arm in his grasp, and pulled and pulled. Jay felt the skin rip like it was his own. The shirt Zane was wearing had ridden up, and Jay watched the skin separate sporadically over the abdomen. All the spots converged into one long jagged gash that was stretching and pouring blood. Zane’s upper body finally came away with a snap. Jay couldn’t help the wave of vomit that spewed out of his mouth.

The half corpse dangled in Cole’s grip. From the bottom of the tear, Zane’s bowels and stomach fell out of the carcass. Acid and bile splashed all over the side of the fire pit. Cole proceeded to slam the body repeatedly into the steel casing. The head of Zane’s corpse cracked against it again and again. Dark, pinkish grey brain matter started to seep out of the abused skull. Cole kept going until the face was bashed in and unrecognizable. Shards of bone jutted out haphazardly, embedding themselves into brain and spinal fluid. The eyes were still intact, turned inward from the force of the impact.

Dropping the mutilated body, Cole went over to Kai and Nya. Jay stood rooted to the spot when the black-clad boy glanced over at him, demanding he watch, and lifted Nya’s head by her chin. That same black-green gaze trapped her as it had Jay. Cole looked back as the blue boy one more time, smirked, and jabbed his fangs into her neck. Kai smiled, sick and twisted, before doing the same to her other side.

The brunette willed Nya to look away from him, but the black-haired girl locked onto his form. Those hazel eyes dulled and her skin grew pale, all the while, she never stopped looking at Jay. So many things were said through the silence, but one rang true. Nya was imploring him, pleading with him not to leave her. Jay turned his back and could’ve sworn he heard her ask why.

Jay took a shaky hand and wiped it across his mouth. There would be no way he’d ever unsee that. Sweat poured down his face; Lloyd, he had to find Lloyd. Jay had to find him before Cole returned his attention to the brunette.

Jay turned around, and panicked, he couldn’t see the green boy. Then he spotted the overturned chair. Kai must’ve thrown Lloyd back when he went for Skylor. Holding his wrist, Jay ran over to and saw the blonde’s dazed expression. The chair had hit him in the face and stunned him. Jay stumbled to his knees and shook the green boy.

“Jay?”

“Lloyd, you have to get up.”

“W-What?”

“We have to go. We have to go _**now**_.”

Jay stood up, dragging the groggy boy to his feet. He didn’t turn back as he took Lloyd’s hand and pulled him to the woods. They were closer, and the brunette didn’t trust himself to make it to the cabin. Cutting into the brush, Jay held onto the blonde's hand like a lifeline. He wasn’t brave enough to look behind them. Hell, he wasn’t even brave enough to keep moving forward.


	2. Fractured

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Never piss off Daddy Vamp.

Tree limbs scratched and clawed at the two running boys as they made their way through the woods. The branches whipped at them, leaving small gashes along their faces. Jay’s mind was going a mile a minute as he tried to think of something to do.

Lloyd was still lagging behind, disoriented from the harsh hit to his skull. The brunette prayed the blonde would snap out of it soon. The blue boy couldn’t defend them as he was, wrist broken and panic rising.

Jay had always been on the scrawnier side, average height and lanky, with a fair bit of bulk on him from working with his hands. His features were almost feminine. Jay could even be described as delicate. With his broken wrist, the most he could do was stand in front of Lloyd, and hope it’d be over soon.

Lloyd wasn’t much better. He was only slightly bigger than Jay from all his time out on the field. Sunkissed, but still pale, the blonde suffered from the same dainty features Jay did. Soccer had done him well, though, and the green boy could run quickly. He was the only one who could really keep up with Jay when they were running around. But Lloyd wasn’t the rippling mass of muscle Kai was, let alone Cole. From what Jay saw, even if the other two weren’t immortal monsters, the two scared boys wouldn’t stand a chance based on strength. 

Speed was out too. Though the brunette was fast, the boys they met in the woods were literally inhuman. Jay hadn’t even seen Kai _**move**_. When he’d ran into Cole in the forest, the blue boy hadn’t been able to see the noirette in his periphery. In the split second it took Jay to decide to book it, Cole appeared in front of him, out of absolute nowhere. There wasn’t a way to outrun them. They couldn’t take them one on one either. Hopefully Lloyd wasn’t concussed. The last thing they needed was for one of them to be completely out of commission.

Usually high pressure situations were where Jay thrived, he could think on his feet. But he’d never faced certain death before. His opponents were both stronger and faster, they may even have a home field advantage. If their story was to be believed, Cole and Kai had lived there for hundreds of years. They knew these woods like the back of their hands, so hiding would be difficult. 

Jay wracked his brains for what he could remember from every cheesy vampire movie he’d ever watched. Every myth had to be based in some fact, right? He immediately threw Twilight out the window, there was no way that was going to help them. All he knew was vampires didn’t like the sun, they hated silver, and you could stab them in the heart with a stake to kill them. Great, he had _**none**_ of that. Forget trying to wait it out until morning, Jay wasn’t sure they'd last that long. If Cole even looked at him, the brunette knew he wouldn’t be able to get away. 

That cruel, black-green gaze promised nothing good. Kai’s sickly golden eyes were undoubtedly similar. When prey animals were caught in a predator's gaze, they’d freeze. It was a biological response to something that instilled not just physical fear, but psychological. The prey already knew it wouldn’t make it. Jay shook his head. He _**wouldn’t**_ let himself just accept fate, especially with Lloyd counting on him.

Adjusting to the darkness took longer than the brunette would’ve liked, but he could finally see. Jay couldn’t use his phone for light, it’d only serve to make them easier to find. The majestic forest had gone through a metamorphosis of its own. Twisted bases gave way to frighteningly sharp, swirling black shapes. Barren limbs clawed out at them, ready to rip into their soft, delicate bodies. Angry looking knotholes became deep cavernous maws gearing up to bite. The woods had turned against them, one with the will of monsters. It was _**too**_ quiet. Every creature was unnaturally silent, probably scared witless just like the two boys running for their lives. That didn’t matter now, Jay needed to find a place to regroup and catch his breath. Stamina wasn’t on their side either. Cole ripped a person in two and didn’t even _**look**_ tired.

Banking to the right, Jay tugged Lloyd into a hollowed out tree stump he spotted. The base was cracked with age, its bark flaked off, dusting the ground with dead leaves. The little alcove looked to be a natural part of the trunk, like it had just grown that way. Sections wrapped and rewrapped around themselves, creating a winding trunk, which left an opening for the two boys to fit through. Jay wasted no time and careened into the cavern with Lloyd. 

Panting, Jay tried willing himself to calm down. His heart was pounding, and if he could hear it, then the vampires had to be able to. He took deep breaths, and tried to think. Jay’s wrist was throbbing. The pain had only worsened from him jostling it around. It was a small price to pay, he was still alive, for the moment. 

Lloyd looked like clarity was dawning on him, and he glanced at Jay confused. What had happened? Kai had just finished telling a scary story. It had been a good one. All he could remember after it, though, was the feeling of being weightless and something hitting him in the face. After that, the blonde felt like he was under water. Everything was muffled and rushed around his ears. His head was swimming, then there was Jay. The brunette looked terrified. And suddenly, they were up and running to the woods. 

“Jay, where _**are**_ we? Why did we run into the woods?”

“We needed to get away.”

“Why?” 

Jay just stared at him, blue locking to green. This green was much more comforting than Cole’s. Lloyd’s eyes were the color of freshly birthed herbs. They hadn’t seen the carnage Jay’s had, and the brunette felt a flash of envy. The blonde would be spared the nightmares of having witnessed their friends’ final demise. That is, if they made it out of this.

“Cole and Kai,” words lodged themselves in Jay’s throat. How did he even _**begin**_ to tell Lloyd what happened and not sound like he was losing his mind? Well, he was losing his mind, understandably, but he had to get Lloyd to believe that the other two boys were dangerous. He had to get the blonde to believe what they were. He started again.

“Cole and Kai, killed our friends. Kai killed Skylor and tortured Nya. Cole killed Zane after he protected me.”

“Nya’s still alive? Why’d you leave her!!”

“ _ **I**_ _**COULDN’T SAVE HER!**_ ” Okay, emotional or not, he really shouldn’t be yelling. He couldn’t afford to draw the beast’s ire. Lowering his voice to a whisper, Jay continued. 

“Cole ripped Zane apart. Kai was holding Nya and made her watch. I… I couldn’t get to her. Cole helped Kai finish her off.”

Out of everything that happened, the thing that would haunt Jay the most, wasn’t Zane’s battered corpse, it was Nya’s eyes. Eyes full of betrayal, and then _**acceptance**_. Every time Jay closed his eyes, he could see her staring at him, resigned to her fate. 

“Ripped apart…” Lloyd was in disbelief, “I.. didn’t see.. What do you mean?”

“Kai threw you back as soon when he attacked Skylor. The chair you were in hit you, and you were out.”

The green boy understood why his face hurt so badly now. He felt guilt eat at him. While all that chaos happened around him, he was absolutely useless. He looked at Jay. Lloyd couldn’t make out the look on his face, but from his tone of voice, the brunette sounded hollow. It was as if someone came, scooped out all that made him Jay, and left a sack of flesh behind. Whatever the blue boy had watched unfold, it had destroyed him. 

“So everyone is…”

“ _ **Dead**_.” 

_Fucking hell_. Lloyd ran a hand through his hair for lack of something better to do. If Jay had taken him to the woods, it meant they wouldn’t have been able to get to the cabin. But something still wasn’t sitting right. Jay had said Cole ripped Zane apart. Something like that shouldn’t have been possible. Jay was a lot of things, but when it came down to it, Jay wasn’t a liar. Sure, he embellished things a bit, but this wasn’t the time to be doing that. The brunette sounded too haunted for this to be some type of prank. When would he have had time to set this up with the other two anyway? They had met Cole and Kai that day. There was no way Jay could’ve convinced them to pull a fast one that quickly.

No, Lloyd knew Jay. He wouldn’t lie about something so sick just for a laugh. Something bad happened, but Zane being ripped apart was unfathomable. Who was strong enough to rip apart a grown man?! Maybe Jay had been so scared his mind conjured the image, but that didn’t seem right either. Unless it was close to what actually happened, his brain wouldn’t come up with something so inconceivable. Jay was telling the truth.

“How’d Cole…..”

“He’s a monster. They both are. Their story was true, and now we’re _**out**_ here... with them.”

“A monster?”

“They’re vampires. They drank Nya’s blood right in front of me. I had to get you out of there.. Zane asked me to before he…”

Now Lloyd was lost. He believed Jay, he did, but what he was saying made no sense. Vampires weren’t real, were they? Giving Jay the benefit of the doubt, it was dawning on Lloyd just how truly fucked they were. Even if they were just regular crazy people, Jay was right, they were stuck out here with deranged killers. The vampire bit didn’t fucking matter, and the blonde wasn’t about to argue with Jay. That’d be a waste of precious time. 

From what Jay told him, their friends were gone, and their only way home was a car they didn’t have a key to. How were they going to get out of here? Well, he supposed they could get to the cabin and call for help. Lloyd nearly slapped himself, he still had his phone. Reaching for it, he didn’t have time to pull back when Jay grabbed his hand.

“Don’t, if they see your phone, we’ll be done for. You think I didn’t think about that? And if we call for someone, how long do you think it’ll be before they get here? We need to get to the car.”

“But isn't that too risky? What do we do when we get to the car? Wouldn't it be better to get to the cabin and wait there? We could reinforce the doors with something and hide out?”

“You want to stay in the same spot, with our _**dead**_ friends, and wait for help to come?”

“It’s better than trying to drive out of here at night. We don’t even know where the keys are.”

Lloyd did have a point. He didn’t know if Skylor left them in the cabin, or if they were… on her person. He hoped to God it was the first one. Okay, so maybe the car wasn’t an option. Jay breathed heavily through his nose, then they needed to get back to the cabin. He remembered vampires couldn’t come into property they didn’t own. Did those two work like regular vampires?

They’d focus on getting to the cabin, but first, they had to figure out how to do that. Lloyd didn’t know what they were dealing with. Jay didn’t either, but he had a _**much**_ better idea. The sadistic glee on Kai’s face burned into his mind. Cole’s radioactive gaze would not be ignored either. No, Lloyd didn’t know, and Jay was desperate to make sure he didn’t have to find out. 

“Alright, we’ll try for the cabin. They’ll know that’s what we’re going for, though. We have to make a plan.”

“We could try and outrun them.”

“No Lloyd... we _**can’t**_.”

**XXXXXXXXX**

The crackling fire was still going strong. Embers sparked and danced in the air with the opalescent smoke. The scent of cinder and ash was heavy. It annoyed Kai. It was getting in the way of him sniffing out his prey. 

The red boy wanted the blonde, the same way his friend wanted the brunette. He could feel that quiet innocence radiating off those sun spun locks and in those emerald-nots. He wanted to stain it, to taint it black with fear. He could only imagine how it would look on him. It would be perfect fear, without doubt or anger getting in the way. Kai was a fear connoisseur, and perfect fear was hard to come by. He had no doubt Lloyd would give it to him.

Kai’d keep him alive, make him watch as he took out his still beating heart. He’d make sure Lloyd couldn’t look away when he played with his entrails. The auburn-haired vamp wanted to make sure he had all of Lloyd’s attention. He didn’t care to explain it, but Kai wanted the boy to have his eyes on him while he broke the blonde’s body apart. 

Lloyd ignited something in him. It was primal and raw. It saturated Kai, it screeched at him to make the blonde submit and scream. That urge bubbled in the vampire, tore through him, and it burned along with his bloodlust. Kai wanted to taste the green boy. He’d never known people to be like colors, but Lloyd was green all over. The clothes he wore, his eyes, his personality, they were all so full of life. Green was life, and Kai wanted it. He wanted to take it, break it, and spill it’s lifeblood over every surface. Lloyd intoxicated him with the scent of his fear.

There was no doubt that the green boy would be delicious. Lloyd’s purity would taste like heaven on Kai’s tongue and he’d drown in it. The auburn-haired vamp wanted to paint that pale skin with the beautiful shade of red he was accustomed to. Red was his favorite. Red meant domination. Kai would make sure his red would dominate Lloyd’s green. The boy would look beautiful crying. Those pearlescent tears would mix with the gushing red, and Kai would _**worship**_ every single drop.

Now, Kai just had to find him. It was smart of the little blue boy to take them to the forest. Too smart. The scents of animals and trees would make it hard for the vampires to track the humans. Every tree and every creature had their own signature smell. They all blended together and messed with the vampire's senses. The humans could use the cover to hide, that is, if they weren’t spotted. 

Cole and Kai could find them through sight and hearing alone, if need be. Humans weren’t known for being silent, even their bodily functions were loud. Nothing dared make a sound when he and Cole were out, so their prey wouldn’t be able to move too fast without alerting them to their location. 

“Should we go in and flush them out?” 

Kai always liked that option. Chasing down prey was exhilarating, it made the fear spread. Kai’s favorite part was the anguish on their faces when he caught them. The red vamp loved watching the hopelessness melt through his victims right before he set upon them. He wanted to see that on the green boy’s face.

Cole was standing a little ways from him, looking angrier than usual. The white-clad boy had gotten in his way earlier. Kai knew it was never a good idea to get in the black-haired vamp’s way.

It wasn’t like _**he**_ was any better. When Kai fixated on something, if he wanted it badly enough, the red-clad vamp wouldn’t tolerate anything standing between them. Seeing the way Cole looked at the blue boy, hearing him call Jay, _**Bluebell**_ , Kai figured the noirette was in the same boat. 

The vampire in question regarded the red boy with a glance. Did he really have to ask? He’d find Jay. There was something Cole desired from the brunette that he couldn’t quite place. When the blue boy tried to run earlier, Cole wasn’t going to let him go. He’d crack the other open until he knew what he wanted. Salivating over the thought, Cole nodded to Kai, they’d flush them out. They’d find them and take until there was nothing left.

**XXXXXXXXX**

Lloyd flinched. Though everything else was quiet before, it was dead silent now. Not even the crickets were chirping anymore. At that moment, the blonde knew the two had entered the forest. Jay filled him in on what they were up against, and Lloyd found himself believing every word. He had been on the receiving end of that strength, so convincing Lloyd of that part had been no issue. Their speed was daunting, but the blonde couldn’t figure out why they just hadn’t followed them into the forest. 

Jay had an idea, that they were toying with them. Lloyd didn’t think it was so simple. If the two were what they said they were, they should have had no problem going after them. There was something else. There were some limitations that they could use to their advantage. Late night horror marathons weren’t any good here, but Jay helped him think through it. 

The forest was damp with leaves and soil. Vampires were basically maxed out humans, that meant everything was maxed out. Sight, hearing, smell, everything was enhanced to a ridiculous degree. But they could use that. What if they didn’t follow them because they couldn’t find them right away?

Lloyd thought they could make it harder on them. He didn’t know what would give them away. There would be no way to account for the vampires’ sight. If he and Jay were spotted...

They could do something about hearing and smell, however. He instructed Jay to rub leaves and dirt all over them, to mask their scent. Lloyd didn’t stop until he was coated in a layer of grime and Jay looked similar.  
  
“Now what?”

“We listen. You remember earlier, they made sound because of the leaves. We’ll hear them.” Lloyd swallowed, his confidence already started leaving him when he said the next words.

“We move when they move. And we pray, to _**whoever**_ , that they don’t hear us.”

Neither one of them spoke, no one had to say what they both were thinking. This was a half-assed plan, which would need a miracle to succeed. Jay doubted they’d make it out unscathed. They were _**so**_ hooped. Slowly, they inched out of their hiding spot into a crouching position. It took way too much effort, but they both tried to breath as quietly as possible and just listen. It wasn’t hard to hear in the absence of noise, and they caught two sets of gentle footsteps. 

Caution guided their movements, as they snuck through the thicket. The footsteps paused, searching, so Lloyd steadied himself and paused too. Evil was lurking about, listening for them, as they, in turn, did the same. Straining, Lloyd finally registered more footfalls and motioned for Jay to move. They took small steps forward. The light of the fire was flickering in the distance, beseeching them. The cabin stood tall in the moonlight that filtered through the spaces in the trees. 

Ushering Jay into the shadow of another tree, Lloyd stopped again. Masked by blackness and the scent of the wet bark, the blonde looked around. His heart rate was going haywire with the tension. He reached out, blindly grasping for Jay’s hand until his fingers grazed it. Taking the hand, he squeezed, and Jay squeezed back. 

There was a hissing sound, the two gaits drew away from each other. One pounded further into the forest, growing fainter and fainter, while the other grew closer to them. Jay was struggling not to hyperventilate, but he moved through the tall grass into a nearby bush. Dragging Lloyd to him, the blue boy covered them both just before a loud thump rang through the woods. 

Jay’s breath stabbed his throat as he gripped tightly onto Lloyd in his terror. His heart sped up to epic proportions, threatening to burst from his chest. The blonde’s hand was crushed in his grip, and Jay’s wrist groaned against the effort. Stay quiet, he had to stay quiet. Still as stone, Jay felt the person outside of the bush feel around. They shuffled lightly, and normally Jay would’ve had a hard time making out their steps, but he was hyper aware. Every movement was louder than thunder in his mind.

“Where are you, Bluebell?”

“Where’d you go?”

“I’m sorry I scared you. I just get so _**hungry**_ sometimes. And so angry. Your friend figured that out.”

Cole was mocking him, trying to goad him out of the spot. Kai didn’t seem to be around, but the shadows hid more than just two scared college students. The black-clad vamp made his blood turn to ice when a clawed hand rustled the bush they were in. It took everything in him not to jump back in fright.

“Please come out, Bluebell. I promise it won’t _**hurt**_.”

Cole purred and it sounded so wrong and right. He felt something in him shatter, like it wanted to go to the other. There was a sudden crash and Kai was beside his bloodthirsty friend. The stuff of nightmares stood only a few feet away, calling out to them sweetly.

“Emerald, come here. Don’t make this harder than it has to be. I promise to be gentle.”

Kai’s voice was having the same effect on Lloyd that Cole’s had on Jay. He couldn’t comprehend why part of him wanted to go to the golden eyed monster. He couldn’t understand why part of him believed the vampire, the blonde knew Kai was lying. If he went to him, the red vamp would do unspeakable things to him. _**Horrible**_ things. But it was like Kai was ingrained in Lloyd. Somewhere deep and lonely, the monster made his home.

“Bluebell, listen to Kai. Come out now and I promise I won’t be mad.”

Why on _**earth**_ would Cole expect him to do what he said? Jay was many things, but stupid was not one of them. Fighting against the tiny part of him that just wanted to do what the other so eloquently expected, the blue boy stayed as still as possible. 

“Doesn’t seem like they’re here.”

“Keep looking, they can’t be far.” 

The rustle of leaves signaled that the other two were bounding away. Jay and Lloyd were frozen to the spot. An eternity later, they timidly felt around and moved quietly from the bush. Pressing low to the ground, they crawled out from under it and made a beeline for the forest edge. It was still too quiet, and the feeling of unease had settled into the very bones of the soil.

They slowly picked their way to another bush. The fire and cabin were closer now. If they made a mad dash, they might be able to make it. The blood was rushing in Jay’s ears, making it harder for him to listen. His heart was thudding rapidly, and Jay looked to Lloyd. The trepidation in those green eyes nearly caused him to give up, but they were right _**there**_ , they were so close. Close enough to see the massacre.

Lloyd could see Skylor’s body. He couldn’t make out much but he could see her laying there, lifeless. Zane’s lower half was in his line of sight as well, and he nearly retched, remembering what Jay said. The two boys being vampires had taken a back seat in his mind, but he couldn’t help thinking of it now. Zane’s lower half was leaking with something dark, a few lines of intestines spilled out. No normal person could have done that, no matter how strong they were. The truth stared at him, as if to say, “Do you believe _**now**_?”

The blue boy took his blonde friend’s hand again, giving Lloyd all his lingering shreds of comfort, and they gently broke into the clearing. Looking on all sides, they saw no sign of their pursuers. Nothing moved, not even the wind dared to make a noise. They walked forward, fear muddling their movements. Jay hoped against hope that the two were still in the forest searching. He hoped against hope that nothing jumped out at them.

This was taking too long, they needed to move faster, but running would surely bring the two beasts. Jay thought about the risks, he looked to Lloyd, and made a decision. They would make a break for it. They were nearer to the cabin now, having traveled a little north, so when they broke the tree line they were closer to it. The woods sloped around, so some parts were closer to the cabin than others. They could get there if they tried.

“We have to run.”

“What?! But, Jay…”

“We have to run! If we stay out here, we’ll be sitting ducks. The cabin is right _**there**_. We need to run now!”

Lloyd was clinging to him in terror, but nodded. Alright, they were doing this.

“On three… One… Two-”

“ _ **Three**_.”

Jay’s lungs constricted, and his pupils became pinpricks, still he couldn’t help the flash of annoyance. **_God-fucking-dammit_**. Lloyd’s heart leapt in his throat. He was too scared to take another breath. He was too afraid to turn around, but a dark force compelled him to so all the same. The green boy’s movements were stilted as he turned to look behind them. There was nothing there. What the fuck? He did not imagine that. Kai was here, he had to be. 

Some leaves drifted onto the ground. It wasn’t unusual, but Lloyd’s eyes trailed up all the same. Slowly, he followed up the trunk of the tree to the branches, and continued up higher still. Thick limbs trickled into thinner appendages, and there sat two golden orbs of midnight sun. Lloyd stuttered as he stared, his lips trembled.

“J-J-J-Jay.”

“What, Lloyd?! We have to _**go**_!” The blue boy hadn’t looked back, he didn’t want to.

“Look up, Bluebell.”

And he did.

**XXXXXXXXX**

Sapphire immediately honed onto charcoal green. The leering jade swirled with black, and Jay was caught. Lloyd watched as Kai crept down the tree on all fours, before standing up with an unnatural fluidity. He started walking toward the two boys, sadistic glee all over his handsome face. The green boy broke then, and pulled Jay's hand.

Kai snarled. He didn’t like seeing Lloyd touch anyone else. Those hands belonged to him. He’d _**break**_ every finger until the blonde knew that. 

That sound shook Lloyd, but he didn’t drop Jay’s hand. He tugged in earnest and got Jay’s attention. Jay took his outstretched palm once more. Cole growled at the display, the deep rumbling reverberated in his chest. He hadn’t told the boy to look away from him. Neither Kai nor Cole understood the possessive streak flowing through them as they advanced on the two boy’s. Cole dropped from the tree and landed like a stealthy wildcat, right next to Kai.

“Run!” 

Jay flew forward, away from Cole, away from certain demise and ran to the cabin like it was his salvation. Lloyd was right behind him. Blue and green ran together, toward what could be their only hope. Through all the terror, one thought shouted over the deafening agony, “Get the _**keys**_!”

Veering to the left, Lloyd ran toward the fire, and could only pray it was worth it. He could feel something bearing down on him. Rage wanted to claw him to bits, and the fangs of something feral wanted to bite into him. He could feel it wanting to tear him to pieces. It was behind him, and all Lloyd could do was keep running. He reached the fire pit, skidding and falling over Skylor’s body. Zane's face was staring right at him, smashed in with gore. Blank, icy eyes were glossy, and what could’ve been tears had dried on his mangled cheeks. Lloyd had fallen into the silver haired boy's blood and brain fluid, while part of his arms landed in Skylor’s open chest cavity.

It felt vile, and Lloyd’s stomach lurched horribly. Pulling himself up, the green boy turned to face her, and immediately mourned that decision. He took in her torn out neck and flaps of skin. The blonde could see her collar bones and some of her spine. Lloyd looked away, he had to get the keys. Taking a shaking hand, the blonde reached into her pocket and felt around. He couldn’t find anything in that one. Feeling her body give way beneath the pressure sickened him. 

Lloyd put his hand in the other pocket, thanking the heavens as he brushed against something metallic. Pulling the keys out with a quick flourish, the green boy had his prize. Drawing himself up in a rush, the blonde went to turn around and run to the cabin. He turned straight into a furious Kai. 

The vampire tackled him. The back of his head cracked against the stone of the fire pit. He fell, sloshing about in the blood and offal underneath him. Kai loomed over him, a ball of fury and hate, hands braced by the sides of his head. The golden eyed beast snarled, and hot saliva spattered all over the green boy’s face. 

Death was staring at the blonde, full of burning loathing. Something else swirled with it, something he couldn’t place, but it made Lloyd’s skin crawl and sing. The golden eyes were flecked with red, making them a fiery inferno searing Lloyd to the spot. The heated gaze smoldered into him with vigor, and the blonde couldn’t look away. Terror bloomed in his chest, this was how he would die.

Kai drank in Lloyd’s fear. It was perfect, just like he’d thought it would be. But, he couldn’t really appreciate it right now. The red-clad vamp was so angry with the green boy. How dare he touch someone else. It would not stand. He slashed Lloyd’s face, leaving behind four deep lines. He touched the blood on his nails to his tongue, and he felt his eyes widen.

The taste of Lloyd’s blood was exquisite. It was akin to liquid rubies, sweet like honey and milk. It was unlike anything Kai had ever tasted. He craved more of it. He licked all of his fingers, never breaking eye contact with Lloyd. His groin was pressed to the green boy’s stomach as he straddled him. Kai could feel him quaking. Every shiver and tingle was on display and the vampire reveled in it. Those emerald-nots were wide, not a trace of black was in them, the pupils dilated to nothing. This was what Kai wanted.

So lost in his revelry, the red vamp didn’t see the branch coming toward him until it smashed into the side of his head. Lloyd had grabbed an errant log hanging out of the fire. He swung it with all his might. It crashed into Kai’s head and sent the vampire sprawling off to the side. Lloyd scrambled to his feet, using the flaming log to defend himself. 

The word anger couldn’t do justice for what Kai was feeling. Fury bled through him, as he got up to look at Lloyd, the burn on the side of his face sizzled as it healed. How dare this spineless, pathetic mortal strike him with a piece of fucking wood. Kai crouched low and sprung, only to have the sparking limb nearly catch him again. Lloyd brandished it, ready to fight. 

Kai circled the green boy, not caring as he stepped onto the dead bodies surrounding them. He lunged again and Lloyd’s log got Kai in the side. It burned a whole in his shirt and he shrieked as his flesh melted. When the vampire fell to over, Lloyd took the opportunity to run to the cabin.

The auburn-haired vampire lay there, stunned for a bit. His claws dug into the soil when he slowly stood up. Lloyd would _**pay**_ for that.

Meanwhile, Jay was having his own issues. Cole was chasing him, playing with him. If he really wanted to, the noirette could have Jay pinned to the clearing floor. Instead, he thundered after him, relishing the terror he inflicted on the boy with his mere presence. Jay neared the stairs, and stumbled. Cole grabbed his leg, just as the brunette gripped the banister with every bit of strength he had left. 

Trying to wrench himself free, Jay reared back and kicked Cole as hard as he could in the face. He felt the crunch of bone under his foot, and the grip on his leg loosened. The brunette kicked back again, and took pleasure in the sickening crack, but Cole still wouldn’t let him go. He looked back, struggling not to be dragged to the ground. Two charcoal green eyes glared at him, bones shifted under the skin and slid back into place. Claws dug into his ankle and Jay sucked in his breath. 

“You _**shouldn’t’ve**_ done that, Bluebell.”

Jay blanched when Cole started to crawl up the length of his legs and body. Jay kneed him in the gut repeatedly, to no avail. The vampire kept crawling up his torso, his eyes never left Jay’s. He embedded his claws into the blue boy's side, and Jay cried out. His life was flashing before his eyes. The final scene was his torn apart body at the base of the stairs. Jay stared into his own lifeless blue eyes, his mind splintered.

There was a sudden thwack, and all Jay could smell was burning hair and skin. Cole was smacked off of the brunette, and his vision filled with blonde and green. Lloyd threw his weapon to the side, pulled Jay up to his feet, and took them both up the stairs before running inside. Jay watched the charred flesh on Cole’s face brighten and heal. The green eyed boy was livid, and roared in pure loathing. The blonde slammed the door behind them as a clawed hand grazed Jay’s forehead. 

Cole stood at the window, black flakes falling off like ashen rain, revealing new olive skin underneath. Raging he banged on the windows, eyes glowing and bleeding with hate. Kai rushed up the stairs, joining Cole in clawing at the glass. The windows shuddered against the weight of the blows and hairline cracks appeared on the surface. Jay and Lloyd clug to each other, too afraid to look away. The window burst open, shards of glass rained everywhere along with shards of their sanity. 

Everything stopped.

Trembling, the two human boys tentatively looked back to the window. The vampires stood there, glaring at them, but were otherwise still. Kai reached up, palm groping the threshold of the broken window, but an invisible force held him back. Sneering, the red vamp pulled his hand outside. Jay let out a relieved sigh. There had been no guarantee that would work. 

Jay kept his eyes on the two, pulling Lloyd out of the foyer and into the kitchen. He kept watching the door until it was hidden from sight behind the wall. 

They were finally safe.

**XXXXXXXXX**

Lloyd looked at himself in the bathroom mirror. Blood and something unmentionable was in his hair, staining the golden strands a rusted red. He examined the four gashes along his face. They would definitely scar. He stared at the bruises all over his body, they were purpling rapidly. It hurt to raise his arms.

He needed a shower.

The blonde reasoned, since Kai couldn’t get in, one would do him some good. Jay had already finished his, washing away the grime and adrenaline. He couldn’t function with this crap all over him. Lloyd stripped down and got in. The water turned red and bits of Zane fell from his hair. He couldn’t bring himself to touch them, so Lloyd hoped they’d go down the drain on their own. He took his shampoo and washed away the rest of the gunk that once belonged _**inside**_ his friend. The blonde boy kept going until the water ran clean. 

Steam filled the room, coating everything in fog. Lloyd wrapped himself in a towel and wiped the mirror. He turned on the faucet and splashed water on his face. He let it drip into the sink. His eyes were bloodshot and he looked haggard. Lloyd touched the glittering pane, and he finally allowed himself to cry.

How could this happen? What were they going to do now? How would they explain _**this**_ to anyone? Three of them were dead. The green boy’s sobs turned ugly, and they racked his body with so much force, he had to kneel down. Lloyd wouldn’t remember them smiling, he’d remember their cold, pale bodies bent at wrong angles. 

“Now, now don’t cry, Emerald. It’ll be okay.”

Lloyd screeched. How did Kai get in here? He couldn’t get inside, right? _**Right**_?! He and Jay had watched the vampire try. Where was his voice coming from?! 

“Over here, little Emerald.”

The blond turned his head to the bathroom window. Kai was staring right at him. Lloyd stood suddenly, tightening the towel around his waist. The vampire leered with a smirk adorning his lips. The blonde gasped, the bathroom was on the second floor. Kai had climbed up the side of the wall. Apparently, the vampires could touch the house all they wanted, but couldn’t come inside. It was a small saving grace. 

Lloyd just stared at Kai, he was so tired. Fear was exhausting, and all he wanted to do was take a shower and forget about everything that happened. Apparently, was too much to ask for. Kai continued to torment him. It was like the vampire singled him out every, single time. Why couldn’t he just leave Lloyd alone?

“You look good in a towel.”

Golden eyes violated him with the strength of their leer. Lloyd felt the need to cover himself up, but had nothing to use. Those soul-searing golden orbs raked over the blonde, imprinting the slight definition of his abs and toned legs to memory. Kai took his tongue and ran it up the window, the implication frightening. The vampire wanted that body all to himself. 

“Let me in, Emerald.” 

“Let me in, right _**now**_.”

“No.”

Kai smirked wider. So the little blonde had a bark after all.

“I don’t think Nya would like that, she _**misses**_ you. Don’t you want to see her?”

Slowly, Kai bought something into the view and Lloyd felt his mind crumble. Nya’s head dangled in Kai’s grasp. Its weight made it swing back and forth from its ponytail. Her eyes weren’t open. She looked almost peaceful, except for the bloody bits on sinew hanging down with the beginnings of her spine. Part of her right shoulder was still attached, and bits of shattered bone jutted out. 

Tears pricked at his vision. Lloyd retreated to the hall. He just kept looking at Nya. It couldn’t be real. Kai started to chuckle a bit, dropping the abomination to the ground. 

With a tenderness foreign to him, Lloyd closed the door.

**XXXXXXXXX**

Cole paced around outside, trying to figure out a way in. He seethed when he found out he couldn’t go in. Right now, all the humans had to do was wait until morning and they’d be home free. The noirette watched the green boy come down the stairs in new clothes, and walk up to Jay. Something glinted in his hands, and Cole saw his Bluebell crack a weak smile. Lloyd had gotten the keys. Even if they destroyed the car, come morning, all they had to do was call for help. The two boys would be taken away.

For some reason, the thought of Jay leaving left Cole embittered. The vampire wanted the blue boy. He wanted his trepidation, he craved his blood, and desired to feel his flesh yield. He tasted the clear, sharp tang and needed more. He would not allow the brunette to be taken from him. Besides, there was the matter of his punishment. Did Jay really think he could get away with breaking Cole’s nose? It didn’t matter it healed, it was the principal. 

Lloyd must’ve gotten the keys from one of the other three. Kai’s boy had stones, he’d give him that. But so did Jay. They both fought back, something they’d be broken of if Cole had anything to say about it. 

A thought occurred to him. If the blonde lifted the keys off a body, what else was on them? Cole strode over to the flickering fire pit, it was finally dying down. He glared down at Zane’s broken body and reached into his ruined sweatshirt. He pulled out a glittering, snow-white phone. Cole grinned, fangs showing, hatching a plan. 

Zane’s phone was password protected, but that wouldn’t be a problem. Even if he didn’t know the password, Cole could still call 911. He and Kai had to adapt to modern times. Over the centuries things changed, and they had to be smart when luring food. If they looked out of place or used the wrong words, people would sense something was wrong much faster. With the technology in his hand, Cole knew phones had a failsafe that would let the user call for emergency help no matter what. 

Cole smiled deviously, dialing the number. He put on his best teary voice, and waited for the operator.

“911, what is your emergency.”

“My friends and I are out at the Old Brookstone Cabin. Someone is out here following us.”

Cole knew everyone in this area knew about the cabin. It was a popular tourist attraction, there was no need to give out the address, the woman was already sending help. Cars periodically drove by the check on the place.

“Sir, we’ll send a patrol car right away. Have they done anything to you?”

“No, but they’re really freaking us out. He just keeps circling the pond.”

“Okay, we’ll send a car out and have a couple officers talk to them. Stay inside and be safe.”

The phone clicked and the signal died. Kai stood next to him in a flash. The auburn-haired vamp looked at the phone and then up to Cole. Curious, the red vamp asked what he’d done.

“Got us a ticket inside, come on.”

Tracing down the driveway, the two vamps reached the main road in record time. In the distance, a black and white patrol car was careening up the street. Cole made sure he was illuminated by the headlights and bade Kai to stay in the darkness. The red boy would know when to make an appearance. 

Two officers got out, walking toward him, hands by their holsters. Before they even had a chance to speak, Cole traced, slicing through one of their abdomens. He disemboweled the officer on the spot. Acid and intestines spilled out of the gaping wound, falling to the pavement.

The man fell to his knees, sputtering, he didn’t understand what happened. His partner stood, shocked. Kai came up behind the traumatized officer, and ripped his head from his shoulders. The body plummeted and twitched until its spasming ceased entirely. Its arms had wheeled around comically, throwing punches and swinging wildly, before finally realizing it was dead.

“Take their hats and put them on.”

**XXXXXXXXX**

Jay fretted, the clock wasn’t moving fast enough. It was only one in the morning, sunrise was several hours away. When Lloyd handed him the keys to Skylor’s car, the blue boy was ecstatic, albeit too tired to show it. They could leave this place in the morning. Picking at the fraying pillows, Jay mentally pleaded with the clock to go faster. He wanted to be rid of this nightmare. He couldn’t deal with this anymore.

His friends’ corpses were out by the dwindling flame, and Jay couldn’t bring himself to go back into that room with the broken window. Lloyd outright refused to go back upstairs. He had come from his shower looking stricken. No matter how much Jay tried to ask what happened, the green boy stayed tight-lipped. Whatever had gone on up there, it left a terrible impression on him.

They opted to stay in the living room after that, and made sure to cover all the windows with blankets. The green boy had insisted on it. They lay with each other on the pull out couch, but sleep never came. They couldn’t bring themselves to turn out the lights.

The brunette startled at the resounding knock on the door. Someone came? Lloyd sat up next to him, and both of them looked at the front door quizzically. The knocking continued, echoing in the corridor. They both trudged over to see a silhouette in the glass. It was wearing a hat.

“This is the police! We were patrolling the area. Are you alright?” The voice was gruff, and one they didn’t recognize.

The police were here? But they hadn’t called anyone. Jay couldn’t think as Lloyd ran to the door. 

“Yes! We’re okay. Please, there’s these people outside. They killed all our friends. Please help us!”

Lloyd was distressed and ready to leave this place. The blonde didn’t care how, he just needed to be away from the bodies. He needed to leave this behind. His frantic footfalls stopped in front of the door. Lloyd’s desperation made him ignorant, but Jay was suspicious. Why were they here? There was no reason that the cops should’ve come. He never got the chance to ask though.

“Please, come in. Just take us home. We just want to…”

Lloyd’s words died on his lips as soon as he opened the door. Cole and Kai, in all their terrible glory, stood in the doorway. The two were grinning ear to ear, vile energy oozed out of them. Removing their hats, Cole took the first step inside, there was no resistance this time. Kai waltz in after him. The red boy shut the door. 

“Don’t mind if we do.”

Pandemonium ensued immediately. Lloyd tried to back away, but Kai was on him, throwing him onto the pull out bed. The vampire pinned his wrists with one hand and glared down at the blonde boy. The auburn-haired vamp lovingly stroked the side of his face, tracing over the slashes he made. 

Jay could make no move to help, Cole was directly in front of him. The brunette pressed himself to the wall and slid to the ground. His hands fisted his messy locks. The noirette towered over him with that terrible gaze. He didn’t want to look up. Cole knelt down, and grabbed his face between his finger and thumb. He gently made the blue boy look into that radioactive vortex. It pulled him in, and he didn’t dare disobey. The thinly veiled rage was palpable as he regarded Jay.

Tears trailed down freckled cheeks, Jay’s lip quivered. Cole turned the blue boy’s head to the side, taking his other hand and followed the curve of the brunette’s neck with a finger. He shivered at the contact, Cole’s hands were icy. He kept gently going up and down Jay’s neck, enjoying the way the smaller boy quaked at his touch. 

Charcoal green eyes flashed, and Cole latched onto Jay’s neck. Ivory canines dug into soft pale flesh. Warm red blood spurted in the noirette’s mouth, coating the inside with the flavor of the blue boy. It was bright, like lightning. It tasted like electricity and lit up Cole’s veins. Jay was whimpering, trying to feebly fight and push the other away. The ebony-haired vamp just responded by pinning his arms with his own.

Drinking like a man possessed, Cole had never tasted anything like Jay. He demanded more. Gulp after gulp poured down his gullet. He savored everything it was. Red stained the human’s deep sapphire shirt an ugly violet. Jay could feel his vision going in and out. He watched, helplessly, as Kai tore into Lloyd’s throat. The red boy slurped messily, he could hear Lloyd sobbing. He saw the blonde futilely shove at the hand around his wrists. 

Black spots clouded Jay’s line of sight. He had one last thought before he fell into darkness.

 _I’m sorry Zane, I couldn’t keep him safe_.


	3. Occam's Razor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The simplest explanation is often the one that's the truth. But can you accept the impossible when it's the only thing staring you in the face?

Consciousness came back to Jay in waves of fractured light. His neck **_ached_** , and his mouth felt like the Sahara. His eyes cracked open, immediately snapping shut due to the pain pulsating behind them. Groaning, Jay sat up, the stiffness in his shoulders made it all the more difficult. His shirt stuck to him uncomfortably, and the brunette rubbed his temples to relieve some of his fatigue. 

Blinking away the pain, Jay took in the drab surroundings, growing accustomed to the dark. He pulled out his phone, grateful it was still there, and used it for light. The battery was low and there wasn’t much of a signal either. The brunette had no idea where he was. Using the spotlight, Jay scanned the room. 

The furniture was old, so old, the wooden foundations of the tables and chairs were starting to buckle under an invisible weight. Dust was in the air, on his hands, and on his skin, caking it with filth. It floated in and out of the blue-white glow of his phone, drifting aimlessly. An inescapable musty smell permeated his senses, so much so, he could taste the stagnation. The staleness made it hard to breathe, hard to think, but Jay persevered by making a mental map of everything around him.

The windows seemed to be bricked up so nothing could be let in. Once his phone died, Jay would have no sense of time in this place. There would be no morning, just an endless night with no moon or stars. Something sinister hung over Jay. It seeped into him and settled itself into his very being. The tension felt thick, like he could reach out and touch it, it strangled him. Movement made the blue boy seize, and he instinctively curled in on himself. God, please, just don’t let him **_see_ **his end.

“Jay, you’re up. Thank **_God_** , you’re up.”

From somewhere in the shadows, Lloyd moved toward him, crawling on all fours. The floorboards creaked under his weight as the blonde determinedly made his way over. The green boy was a mess, his once clean shirt was covered in dried blood. Kai had mauled his throat, making his words raspy. Fang marks decorated Lloyd, his essence was caked all over them, staining the pale flesh a rusted brown. Though, they seemed deep and life-threatening, it looked like they’d already scarred over and healed. Absently, Jay wondered about his own wounds. Would he have battle scars too?

Lloyd finally made it over to him, and dropped onto Jay’s lap like a stone. The smaller boy bawled into his jeans while fisting his shirt tightly. The green boy’s face rubbed into his abdomen; it was like he was trying to bury himself in the other. The blue boy hugged him as hard as he could, distantly realizing his wrist no longer ailed him. Jay cried with Lloyd and tried to shush him simultaneously. Jay’s hand carded through tangled flaxen locks in a feeble attempt at comfort. 

The sobbing subsided into mewling sniffles when Lloyd eventually calmed down. Sitting up, he laid his head on Jay’s good side, though his body protested the effort. Apathy for his own wellbeing was at the forefront of Jay’s mind while he clung to the young Garamadon boy. The closeness was a comfort, the skin of their arms touched and it grounded the brunette. They’d been taken, and Jay could not begin to fathom why. The flash of teeth was the last thing he saw. It was the last thing he _**should’ve**_ seen, but here he was… alive. Mercy wasn’t something Cole or Kai seemed capable of, it definitely could **_not_** be the reason why they were spared. 

Whatever it may be, Jay was not happy about it. No good could come of them being here, held hostage by ravenous creatures. Were they just playthings until the two got bored of them? Then, when they were finally done with them, would they be left in one piece? Drained dry? Or would they be torn asunder, becoming nothing but bloody ribbons? No, nothing good could come of this. It bought Jay no joy to speculate, however, he didn’t have the luxury of not thinking about it.

Wrapping an arm around Lloyd, Jay tried to figure a way out of this. He couldn’t come up with anything at all. The silence was audible, filled with the machinations and whispers of a horrified mind. Every time the brunette jerked his head, every time he tried to focus on what the disembodied words were saying, they’d quiet. He was so frightened, his thoughts betrayed him, coaxed him to create a plan but provided no leads. Insanity flooded in from the corners of Jay’s psyche, only Lloyd's presence was keeping him from falling off the edge. 

The blonde boy clenched his arm with a sudden fierceness that startled Jay. Looking down he saw those herb green eyes, illuminated in the artificial glow, focused with an astonishing intensity. Something had caught the younger boy’s attention, something Lloyd didn’t have any intention of letting escape it. The green boy looked like a porcelain doll, with wide unblinking eyes. Jay could see every lash, could feel how the green boy sat unmoving, and he knew they were not alone. Jay turned his head. 

He _**wished**_ he hadn’t.

Twin sets of smoldering orbs contemplated them. One of dead ivy, and the other, a tainted sunlight. They pulsed in the inky stillness, thoughtful and eerie, lurking just beyond the pale glow of Jay’s phone. Lloyd’s death grip on his arm tightened imperceptibly, Jay almosted winced. The tainted sunlight growled, it was a tense rumble that vibrated loudly in the tiny space. Dead ivy stayed silent and stared. It warned Jay of an unknown consequence if he disobeyed. Disobeyed what, the brunette wasn’t sure, but it looked like an unspoken rule was warranting discipline. He moved closer to Lloyd, confused and scared. A snarl banished the quiet away, as dead ivy joined the tainted sun in its angered growling. 

Larger and larger, those twin sets of eyes grew, gliding with unnatural grace. The beginnings of two faces appeared in the light, glaring at them in hot anger. Cole and Kai bore identical scowls, clearly incensed with the two human boys. Both of them were crouched down on all fours, level with Jay and Lloyd’s sitting position. Neither had the courage to speak, to ask the questions running through them at a breakneck pace. 

Cole went for Jay’s leg, and on instinct, the blue boy pulled it back with a speed only gifted to the terrified. Lloyd followed suit, hugging his knees to his chest. He peered at Kai overtop of them. Undeterred, the two abominations crept fully into the shimmering pool, breaching the flimsy boundary. They crowded the humans until their backs hit the wall, never once breaking their gaze. Never once did they even think to look away from their humans. 

Yanked roughly by the ankle, Jay was dragged to the ground and under Cole. His phone clattered to the floor next to his friend. Lloyd yowled, scrambling to tug Jay back up to him, pulling at the arm still in his grasp. Kai was not having it.

The seething red vampire savagely shoved the green boy to the wall, making him lose precious contact with the other. They blonde cowered, his lip trembled violently and those herb green eyes watered. The auburn-haired vamp gnashed his teeth at Lloyd, filled with fiery disdain. Their chests would be touching, if not for Lloyd’s knees keeping Kai at bay. He was leaning into the green boy’s face, those fangs were snapping at him, threatening to cut him open. 

Lloyd just shrank back further. Wrapping his arms around himself, he created a fetal cocoon. There wasn’t anything to protect him. The realization was like a bucket of cold water had been poured over him. The sounds of Jay’s struggling died down, causing Lloyd’s head to jolt up. He was scared he’d be here alone. Peeking over his knees he saw his friend clasped against the other vampire. A strong arm was wrapped around his waist. The other wrenched the brunette’s head up, exposing his Adam’s apple. 

Jay flailed a bit, but Cole didn’t let go. The blue boy’s chin was held delicately between a clawed thumb and forefinger. His back was flush against Cole’s chest, Jay’d been forced to sit in the vampire’s lap. Lloyd wished he was brave enough to do something, anything, but Kai pushed into his vision. The auburn-haired vamp was livid. He pried the blonde’s arms from around himself and separated his knees. The seething creature filled the space between Lloyd’s legs, slamming his hands against the wall right next to the smaller boy’s head. 

Kai was beyond pissed. Why did the little emerald keep **_touching_ **the other boy? Even after he was kind enough not to bleed the blonde dry. He even healed his wounds. So why? Why did the other so flagrantly disregard him? Above all else, Kai hated being ignored. The red vamp didn’t understand why he wanted Lloyd to look at him so badly, but it was starting to make him mad. The blonde seemed to think Kai wasn’t worthy enough to be deigned attention. Even now, the green boy continued to look at everything but him. 

_Look at me. Look at_ ** _me_**. Kai huffed, and leaned closer to Lloyd. He could hear the other whimper, and he finally, _**finally**_ looked up. The red-clad vamp was instantly calmed, the outright snarling had lessened to a muffled growl. Gradually, he got even closer to the green boy, sniffing him deeply. The scent of copper was the most present, but there was an underlying hint of the other’s natural aroma. He smelled Lloyd’s liquid sunshine, it was of lemons and bright hollies. It was the closest Kai could ever hope to get to the sun again. He inhaled again. Golden orbs hooded and brightened as the red vamp took in the scent. Losing himself, Kai dipped his head down, and breathed in **_life_**. 

Jay had all but given up fighting against Cole. There was no leverage to gain any form of footing. A loquacious tongue was traveling over the dried, cracked blood of his neck, returning it from rusted brown to a vibrant crimson. It lapped over his jugular, sending shivers down his spine to rest somewhere in his hips. The brunette bit back a moan, ashamed that such a sound almost made its way past his lips. How could he feel so tempted by someone so vile? The groin welded to his ass wasn’t helping as fear and arousal coursed through him. Jay couldn’t tell where one ended and the other began.

Cole was intoxicated with the feeling of silk in his mouth. He would teach Jay who he belonged to. The noirette wouldn’t abide by him being close to another person. His fangs ghosted over the vulnerable skin of the blue boy’s neck while he licked it clean. Jay felt like putty in Cole’s hands, he was trembling so much. His legs started to shake vigorously when the vampire’s cool breath hit the shell of his ear. The black-clad demon was enamored by this particular prey.

The boy smelled **_bright_** , he was like spearmint and a splash of the oranges Cole loved when he was a child; when he was **_still_ **human. The energy was strumming, pulsing through his teeth. He felt it, even through the veil of flesh, the electricity that brewed in the brunette burnt white. Cole wanted that energy, he wanted it all for himself. He was going to bathe in it, he’d rip it open and let it fall all over him. The dead ivy of his eyes melted into a dark jade. 

Letting his fangs nip into the soft surface, that energy slowly seeped into Cole. It coated his tongue and he adored it, taking pleasure in the taste. The low whines did not deter him from his feast. He bit down, harsher than intended, and the bright red squirted like a geyser. Cole could feel himself falling into euphoria, it was amazing. What remained of his soul was breaking apart, dissolving with Jay’s blood. Cole couldn’t contain himself, he took large mouthfuls, loving how comforting it was when it ran down his throat. 

Inquisitive claws teased Jay’s mouth open and plunged two fingers inside. The blue boy’s tongue languished against the digits as Cole drank from him. Sapphire eyes squinted, and the brunette found himself being lulled into a sense of foggy comfort. This was different than the last time, all he’d felt was pain, but this was nearly pleasurable. Cole ground into the blue boy, he no longer had control of himself. The noirette felt something more primal take over and push through him. Every gulp felt like fire.

The arm that was around Jay tightened so much it had become a vice. He was bouncing in time with Cole’s haphazard thrusts. Confusion broke into incoherent fragments of reason, the brunette couldn’t comprehend how they got to this point. The fangs in his neck pumped venom into his body, and he became limp. Cole tore himself away with a guttural groan, the scarlet elixir dripped down his chin and onto the floor. In his haze, he remembered to lap at the new abrasions on Jay’s person. The two holes closed immediately. 

“I won’t let anyone else have you, Bluebell.”

“No one can take you from me.”

During the whole exchange, Kai had pressed himself fully onto Lloyd. He forced the human’s wrists down to his sides, still taking in the green boy’s scent. Lazily, he sipped at the dried blood on the blonde’s collar. The red-clad vamp was gradually being driven insane, a powerful lust overcame all cognitive function. He suckled Lloyd’s neck clean, savoring the flavor of the human.

The blonde boy writhed in… disgust? Lloyd wanted to say disgust, but it was so much more than that. It was something... _**other**_. It churned inside Lloyd, bubbling up and out of him, exposing his yolk to the world. The smaller boy let Kai’s lips wander. He was scared, but he was aching. Lloyd couldn’t decipher his reaction to the red demon, logic eluded him. The ever present dismay was still there, but it had taken a back seat to whatever was worming it’s way through his spirit.

Mouth open wide, Kai latched onto his human. The world exploded in color, it saturated itself in vivid neon hues. Kai was drunk off of Lloyd's ambrosia and crowded into him more. Letting go of his wrists, he braced himself against the wall, leaning into the green boy as much as he could. The auburn-haired vamp lifted his bleary gaze to Lloyd, turning his head to slot his lips against him. 

Blood dripped from the kiss when Kai bit into the plump, pink curves. His tongue burst into the wet cavern, reaching for every available expanse. He needed more, he **_craved_ **more. His desire licked at the back of Lloyd’s mouth, it drove him to coax tiny moans from the other. With a loud pop, Kai broke the intimate contact. The red-clad vamp went back to the new marks he made on the swan like neck, reopening old wounds. 

Lloyd gasped, he gripped the back of the red boy’s hoodie with all his strength, and Kai sucked and sucked. He was growing tired with each slurp and nearly slumped back into the wall. The vampire released the blonde, gently running a sloppy swipe over the bleeding holes, healing them instantly. The green boy hadn’t noticed he’d been bitten, it hadn’t hurt. All he felt from the injection was an undeniable, tangible delight. 

Trying to calm himself, Lloyd worked air into his lungs. Herb green mirrored the heavily lidded gaze of tainted sunlight and did not dare to turn away. That only ever seemed to make Kai upset, so the blonde indulged him.

“Emerald, don’t look at anyone else. Don’t _**ever**_ take your eyes off me.”

**XXXXXXXXX**

Yellow police tape wrapped around the perimeter of the pond. Another police car was sent out when the first one never came back. Upon seeing their fellow officers collapsed in heaps in front of the car, they called for backup. 

The 911 call that bought the previous team out there, was reviewed, and the swat division made their way to the cabin. Upon discovering three more bodies surrounding the fire pit, Forensics was called in. The gruesome scene was contained, and lab assistants documented the evidence. The remains were put in body bags to be tested and identified.

Judging by the age of the victims, parents would need to be called. If they were out here alone, it meant they were old enough to travel, but with the youth clear on their faces, they weren’t sure. Every officer knew that they had families waiting for them. These types of scenes were dreaded. No one wanted to deal with a hysterical parent. 

“Whaddya think happened here?” 

An older detective was standing next to a forensic photographer, who took a picture of the lower half of one of the kids. The state of the bodies spoke of an animal attack, but the 911 call said someone had been circling the lake. Was it a mistake? But what animal could be mistaken for a human? Despite how dark it was, that was impossible. Had they called from the cabin? Maybe they had been too far away to see what they were looking at properly. Maybe the caller was just too scared.

Then there was the matter of where the call came from. After collecting their phones and searching them, they found the white iPhone was the call came from. It had been closer to where they had found the two dead cops. There was no way any of the kids had walked the length of the driveway, their bodies were mangled. Based on their remains, they had been dead before the call went out. So who called?

The only explanation was that there had been someone else here. Someone who wasn’t here now. It could possibly be the killer, but there was no one in existence strong enough to rip a body in half. So that led back to the initial conclusion: an animal attack. But that didn’t seem right. 

“I could tell you what I think,” the photographer began, “but it makes no sense.” The younger man set the camera down next to him while he spoke.

“The mutilation to the bodies suggests an animal attack, maybe a bear. That would explain why the decapitated girl’s head was found by the house. Bears take food back to their homes.”

“But that’s too little sustenance for something of that size. It would just take the whole body. And why would it attack two officers so far from it’s game? That doesn’t make any sense.”

The detective listened intently, finding that the younger man had come to the same conclusion. An animal operated with its basic needs in mind. It would protect its kill, but the officers were too far away to be considered a threat. That was throwing him too. 

“I thought so myself, but there’s no way a person could have done this. The only thing it could be was a bear. Some are still around this area. Mountain lions do come to these parts, and so do the wolves, but they’re wary of people.”

“Then there’s the matter of the bite marks, they’re aren’t any. At least not a bear’s. The only one that was intact was the on the black-haired girl’s remaining shoulder. There were only two marks, with the standard 32 centimeters between them.”

“The distance between human canines.”

“But again, that doesn’t make sense. Unless these kids were having a very **_intense_ **orgy before they were summarily ripped apart, nothing fits.”

“Right, well that was something I didn’t need to think about.”

“Sorry, Detective Shaw. Until we get everything down to the lab, we won’t know what exactly we’re dealing with. We can’t rule out an unhinged psycho, no matter how unlikely it may be.”

“Alright, call me when you know something.”

Multiple cars pulled up shortly after the conversation, one being the local coroner. She readied her van for the influx of corpses and retrieved the thick black body bags. Stephanie was very thorough when it came to her job, if there was something unusual hidden in the carnage, she would find it. Detective Shaw was sure of that.

**XXXXXXXXX**

Cole still had Jay in his lap, quietly observing him. The blue boy was attempting to keep himself awake, unaware he was clinging to the noirette’s arm. His head hung awkwardly to the side, and the vampire knew it’d be sore if he let him stay like that. Maneuvering the brunette to an upright position, Cole leaned Jay’s head back against his shoulder. The blue boy went with it, barely present, too consumed with his thoughts.

The way Cole held him wasn’t like a monster, it was too gentle for that. When he wasn’t snarling in his face, he was almost pleasant. It was like he got a glimpse of the shy boy in the forest. Was that who Cole used to be? And why did he react the way he did? This.. this **_thing_** murdered his friends right in front of him, but that bite caused certain feelings to come out. It was like it bought a part of Jay to light. A part that was hidden away for a long time. It had always been there within him, but the proper catalyst finally made it come alive.

That piece of him begged to submit to the vampire. Jay was afraid of him, he was so afraid, he would have nightmares for the rest of his days. But the blue boy also wasn’t. Part of him felt like he wasn’t even in danger, which was laughable. A centuries old creature that fed on blood, ate his friends, butchered them like cattle, and Jay sat here, partially content. What was **_wrong_ **with him?!

There was no reason for him to feel like this, but a baser part of him was, dare he say, at peace. There was this warmth in him that didn’t exist before and it was spreading. And Jay felt guilty, so _**guilty**_ , because of where it came from. The brunette would never forget what happened to his friends. But that part of him, the part that was so warm and peaceful, lit up when he met Cole in that forest. He was drawn in, like a moth to a flame.

That black-green gaze was terrible, but when it was like this, cooled to a peridot ice, it wasn’t so bad. It was like the vampire calmed. He didn’t like it when Jay touched Lloyd, but what did Cole really expect? Lloyd was all Jay had left, the blue boy would be damned if he let the blonde go. As much as he hated Cole, the brunette couldn't refute the inexplicable piece of him that just **_didn’t_**.

Jesus Christ, how fucked up was he?! In her final moments, Jay had betrayed Nya, and now he was betraying all his friends, _**and**_ their memory, by entertaining this. Did he develop Stockholm Syndrome this quickly? It was like he was predisposed to Cole and his particular brand of terror. Conflicting emotions aside, Jay thought about whether or not he’d see the light of day again. Probably not. He’d never see his adoptive parents again. The brunette would either end up dead, or held prisoner. And why the hell was part of him **_OKAY_ **with that?

Lloyd was in a similar position. He warily watched Kai, sickened by the fact that half of him liked that the vampire’s eyes were on him. The red-clad vamp had sat back a bit, still nestled in between the blonde’s legs, staring at him. It was as if the auburn-haired vamp was contemplating the human in front of him. Lloyd fascinated Kai. He catalogued every breath the green boy took and every time he moved. The vampire didn’t want to miss anything, and it puzzled him. Usually when something made no sense, Kai just destroyed it. He didn’t want to do that to Lloyd.

Don’t get him wrong, Kai wanted to rend the flesh from his bones. At the same time, though, the red boy wanted to kiss it better, so he could do it all over again. Like all things, Kai just went with it. That would be fine right? It wasn’t like Lloyd could leave. That thought sent a fresh wave of anger through him. Lloyd could **_never_ **leave. May the Devil help anyone who thought they’d take the green boy from him. The little emerald was his dammit, and that was something Kai would brand into Lloyd if he had to. 

The human was so innocent looking, cherubic even. Kai was never one to cherish anything, but this was different. This was new. However, it wasn’t unwanted. He was drunk on Lloyd’s blood, it wasn’t like anything else. If he was gone, Kai wouldn’t be able to have it anymore. That was the only rationale that fit. He wanted to keep Lloyd because of his blood. Liquid sunshine in a blonde bottle was so hard to come by. There was no way Kai would willingly give that up.

He couldn’t make heads or tails of it, but Kai **_liked_ **it when the human looked at him. He liked the way those herb green eyes would see nothing but him. Right now, the red-clad vamp had all of Lloyd’s attention, and Kai felt satisfied. Yes, this was more than fine.

Reaching a hand out, he was glad to see that the other boy didn’t so much as flinch. He ran his fingers through silken gold tresses, the feel was luxurious. Lloyd leaned into his touch, slowly, instinctively, seeking comfort. Lloyd was nearly gone, he was exhausted. Kai would have to feed him later. If he was gonna keep the blonde, the vampire would have to take care of his pet. 

Kai wasn’t sure why that made his heart beat. It had been dormant for a long time. He had killed hundreds of people without a care. The red vamp had never been moved by their tears, their screams never gave him pause. All Kai desired was suffering. Cole was the same way, they loved to kill together. The other vampire was the only friend he had, the only thing he even remotely cared about. Because the noirette was the only _**good**_ thing left from the past.

He had never missed the fragile part of himself, it disgusted Kai to think about where he came from. His parents sold him to the mountain woman and planned to replace him. The red vamp felt so unimportant. In the end, they hadn’t even cared how he pleaded to stay with them. They deserved what they wrought, but Kai’s bloodlust was never sated. 

So he killed, he ruined, and he took the spoils. Why should anyone be happy if he and Cole weren’t? Why should anyone have anything to love if they couldn’t? No, Kai’d take and take and take, until there wasn’t anything left. To fill the empty void created by the people he thought cared about him, Kai would plunder all humanity had. 

The little green boy was his **_reward_**. He was what Kai earned for having his very humanity stripped from him. 

Jay had fallen asleep, troubled, but he couldn’t keep himself up. Cole looked at the small human in his arms. Why didn’t he want to see him break like all the others? Humans were just toys to slake the thirst of monotony. They were pitiless, annoying little bugs that needed to be brought down a peg. Cole cared not for their welfare, and yet, one of the worthless maggots was here... in his old home.

This place bought back horrid echoes of the past, ones that he could do without. Even if he was still human, Cole would never feel bad for murdering his parents in cold blood. One could say that they were the reason he was this way, that they were the true antagonists. Their actions caused the noirette to be what he was now. They were the ones to blame. 

It wasn’t like he and Kai couldn’t acquire a new place, but they had no identity. Cole supposed they could take the cabin now that they had been let in. The owners were never home, and since Jay and his friends had been renting it, it was their temporary dwelling. They had ownership for as long as they’d rented it. 

Finally, the green boy had drifted off as well. Cole needed to talk to Kai. The red vamp hadn’t told the whole story, he stopped at the part where they’d grown up. There had been more, and Cole wondered if this was what Wu had been talking about.

“Do you think the crazy old man was right?”

Cole questioned his only friend. He remembered it so vividly. They met Wu in their first hundred years as vampires. The wizened old wizard hadn’t looked at them with fear, only pity. With the magic of creation running through him, granted to him by the power of Ra, Wu could recognize the spell that had been used on the two. He knew they’d been like this since childhood, the Devil’s work coursed through them. The same dark sorcery wafted through the land and the crops growing there. The mountain woman’s witchcraft had worked, even if she hadn’t been alive to see it come to fruition.

He and Kai had come to kill him. They despised anyone tied to the magic of the gods. They were held in special contempt. They sensed the magic in the old man and it begrudged them, made them feral. The pity he had for them was regarded as a trap. Sympathy wasn’t something they were used to, they didn’t understand it, and they wanted it gone.

But Wu, full of compassion for the beasts in front of him, bound them to two souls. Those souls would restore them. Bit by bit, they would learn to feel again. Then, and only then, would the bloodshed stop. If Cole was honest, the thrill of a fresh kill was fleeting, he was tired of his own existence, but was scared to die. If hell was real, which it had to be, it was where the two vampires were going. They were marked by the Devil after all. 

“You think that shit is real?” Kai scoffed.

“Why couldn’t it be? Look at what we are. I know you know how it happened.”

“Well, what then, if it is?”

“I don’t know, but this is nice.”

“... Yeah, yeah it is.”

 _Through blood you were born, and through blood you will return  
_ _A soul to live and a soul to burn.  
_ _Only purity will stem the tide  
_ _Of the hatred you feel inside.  
_ _Two souls will lead you past the fires of Hell,  
_ _And the bloodlust within you will be quelled.  
_ _A soul to live and a soul to burn,_  
 _With these two souls, the tide will turn_.

**XXXXXXXXX**

Forensics finally came back. Detective Shaw stared at the results in disbelief. The DNA from the only viable bite wound they had registered as inconclusive. That meant it wasn’t a bear that mutilated the kids, they didn’t know **_what_ **had. That was a problem, there was no way he could give anyone closure with this type of conclusion. What the actual fuck was he supposed to do with this? The DNA hadn’t matched **_anything_ **in the database, it was completely alien. 

They had run it several times and it kept coming back the same. They outsourced it to another, bigger lab in the city to make sure they were reading it correctly. They expedited the samples, and they should be returning in the next few hours. Shaw had driven them there himself, demanding they prioritize finding the results.

Now the detective needed to go over the information he gathered. After they identified who the bodies belonged to, Shaw had to call two of the most powerful people in the country. He had to tell Chen his daughter was dead. The man was coming to see if it was her for himself. He had also gleaned that there were two college kids unaccounted for. One Jay Walker and Lloyd Garmadon. Therein lay another dilemma, telling the CEO of Garmadon Industries his son was missing, and that three of his friends were brutally killed by what appeared to be an animal.

The man, that so many people had known as ruthless, had broken down and cried. Detective Shaw listened to the man blame himself for what happened. He told the investigator that it had been a road trip for the kids to celebrate their graduation from Ninjago University. They had picked the cabin and insisted on driving themselves. The older Garmadon had figured it was time to give his son some independence, and let him go. 

Now his only child was gone, without a trance. The only lead was that something dragged him off to eat him later. Along with Jay. The Walkers had been the worst. They were inconsolable, and everyone in the office had heard the distraught cries. All of the parents had airtight alibis. Detective Shaw knew, and hated, that he had to ask, but it was what they paid him for. He had to rule out foul pay. 

The man had been on the force for thirty years, he knew when people were faking emotions. None of them were. Not even Dr. Julien. He hadn’t cried for his son. After the amount of surgeries he performed, all the lives that ended on his table, the doctor didn't have any more tears. The pain in his voice could not be masked, however, and Shaw heard it there. The unbridled remorse was clear, and the doctor was holding himself responsible just like Garmadon. This was looking more and more like a horrible accident. There had been nothing to gain from their children’s deaths either. Each parent had fully expected _**not**_ to outlive their kids. There were no life insurance policies taken out, so there was no motive. They were all loved by their parents, that much was true.

So probable cause was out. That left some psychopath with unparalleled strength. He called the local sanitariums, but every patient was accounted for and in their cells. No one had broken out. If they had, there would have been a manhunt and feature in the local paper. More and more dead ends presented themselves.

The bear attack was the only option. They were the only creatures in the surrounding area capable of this level of savagery. But the trackers told another story. Every bear in the woods was heading **_away_ **from the murder site, not toward it. The animals had been moving very quickly, from the looks of it. Tree limbs were damaged in their haste to get away. The bears were running from something, but what could cause a _**bear**_ to run away?

Rubbing his temples, Detective Shaw took a swig of coffee. He wished he had put Bailey’s in it to calm his nerves. Then, the phone rang.

“Shaw.”

“Ah, detective, we have the results of the sample you gave us.”

“And?”

“You were right, the DNA is not anywhere in the database. It doesn’t match any known animal or person.”

“Tell me something I don’t already know, Hank.”

“Well, we ran it a few times, but the DNA you gave us was old. As in, centuries old. It nearly matches human DNA, but it’s off.”

Now that was… _**odd**_. The DNA was hundreds of years old? Shaw was acquainted with Hank for a little over a decade. The man was too serious for his own good. So when the scientist told him something, Shaw believed it. They butt heads on everything, but Hank earned his trust. 

“So the assailant was human.”

“No, not quite. I said it nearly matches human DNA, but it isn’t human.”

“Then what is it? Because what you’re telling me is an age old monkey or ape, of some kind, is loose in the forest. Those things are the only animals that are our closest relatives. You and I both know that can’t be.”

“Look, I told you what we found. We ran it through different machines, and it came back the same. The DNA **_is not_** human. It’s old, and there’s no way it was a bear.”

“Then the samples were contaminated before we even got there. That’s the only logical thing.”

Shaw was frustrated, he couldn’t figure this out. Every bit of progress he made was thwarted by an invisible enemy. It left him no choice. The first forty-eight hours of a murder were crucial, and there were only sixteen left. Then he had to make an official statement.

What kind of statement could he make? There was also the matter of the other two boys. Not a single trace of where they’d been taken existed at the scene. With the exception of their personal belongings, Walker and Garmadon had disappeared. Their fingerprints were in the cabin, and so were the ones of the three deceased. They **_had_ **been there. There was no sign of forced entry or anyone else in the cabin. They were ghosts.

Chen would be here soon. The noodle empire giant had dropped everything and booked an emergency flight to I.D. his daughter's remains. They had sewn her up the best they could, but no one should have to see their child like that. There wouldn’t be anything Shaw could say to console the man at all. He couldn’t tell him the truth, and the detective was no liar.

Sometimes “I don’t know” was all you had. And of course, that would do nothing to help the situation. Shaw had long since ended his call with Hank. With more questions than answers, he still hadn’t come up with a thing to say when Chen came bursting through his door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not much action in this, just little bit of backstory. I am not done killing people, and I'm not done with the darkness. I said I wanted gore, and I will have it, even if I have to write it myself. A tiger doesn't change it's stripes so quickly.


	4. Modus Operandi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Change isn’t sudden. It’s gradual.  
> Read and review.

Detective Shaw staggered into his office, world weary and full of sympathy. Chen had come, and sure enough, identified the body as his daughter, Skylor. When he first escorted the older man to the morgue, the mogul had, understandably, vomited when he saw her. After the autopsy was over, the doctors did their best to bend her ribs back into place, but because they were bent back so far, they had cracked and splintered. Medical examiners ended up trying to staple and solder them together. The result was lumpy, imperfectly set ribs, which made the girl’s body look like it was filled with hills and valleys. There was nothing to be done about the gigantic hole in the side of Skylor's neck.

Chen had taken one look at the gaping chasm, and whatever he had eaten, ended up on the floor. Shaw felt heartless when he asked the restaurant tycoon to take a good look and make sure it was, in fact, his little girl. The other man took nary a step closer, and identified Skylor from the spot, before running out and losing the rest of his lunch in the nearby trash can. 

Sweat clung to Chen's brow as he tried to compose himself. It was like the man iced over, his face was glacial. He was rigid in his stoicism, giving monotone answers when making the necessary arrangements to have Skylor shipped home. Shaw had seen it all before. When a person reaches their emotional capacity, especially after experiencing trauma, they just stop being able to process what they're feeling. It was like interacting with a puppet, who’s movements were controlled by strings made of sorrow. True grief didn't always express itself with standard crying. Sometimes, grief was a blank slate, a whitewashed person who couldn't find it in themselves to _**feel**_.

The fact of the matter was, Chen had a daughter to bury, half of the other parents wouldn't even get that. There would be some form of closure for the restauranteur. He could visit Skylor whenever he liked. So could Dr. Julien and the Smiths, once they came to collect their children. They would be by later to put a name to the other two corpses, though at this point, it was just a formality. Shaw knew who they were, and only hoped the parents were smart enough to cremate their kids. 

Not knowing what happened was worse than seeing your child dead in your arms. The Walkers and Mr. Garmadon would never have closure if Jay and Lloyd weren't found. They'd forever wonder what happened, and that is often a fate worse than death. The possibilities would drive them insane and there would be no answer to give. The empty casket would be lowered into the cold, hard ground, but their suspicions and doubts would never be buried. He did not envy Chen, but he pitied the mechanics and CEO _**much**_ , much more. 

The detective's visit with Skylor's father wasn't favorable in the least. The man asked, in a tone devoid and hollow, what happened to her. And Shaw had to tell him the truth, he didn't know. He told him what he thought happened, and the detective saw Chen crumple further. The words tasted like the bullshit they were. Thirty years on the job, and it still couldn't prepare the detective for watching a grown man fold in on himself. 

Sitting, Shaw rubbed his hands down his face. He would have to do this all again tomorrow when the other parents got here. It was times like these that made the detective wonder why he hadn't turned in his badge sooner. The reporters had gotten wind of the massacre, which he expected. Three of the five kids were high profile, so there would’ve been no way to keep this from the media.

Damned _**vultures**_ , they never allowed people to properly grieve. It was always about the juiciest scoop. The last thing a hurting parent needed was a fucking camera in their face. Speaking of cameras, Shaw was required to give his official statement soon.

The detective sighed. He was being thrown to the wolves. His name would be dragged through the mud, and he'd be declared incompetent once again. With no leads to go on, they went with the bear story. If the town ever found out it wasn't the absolute truth, there would be a panic. Shaw did not want to deal with a panic.

No good deed goes unpunished, they say. Who they are, Shaw didn't know, but what he did know was this: he agreed wholeheartedly. The detective solved crime after crime, put criminal after criminal behind bars, but for this, he'd be _**crucified**_.

Shaw stood. He should get this over with. If he didn’t, they’d come for him. He did not want that.

**XXXXXXXXX**

Hunger was clawing viciously at Lloyd and Jay's stomachs, debilitating them. Unable to stay alert, lethargy ruled over them. Sapphire and emerald were clouded over with a frailty known only to man. Their systems were churning on empty. The normal, everyday tasks of breathing, thinking, and just plain existing burned calories that weren't there. They were starving, so having any portion of their blood drained wasn't helpful. There was no way for them to replenish it without nourishment.

Food was not something a vampire’s body demanded, all they needed was the essence of living beings. The green and blue boys weren't built like that. They lived in less efficient flesh prisons. They were made to break down, they required fuel, and without it, they'd definitely perish. If Cole and Kai were going to keep them, they needed to be fed. A weak meal meant weak blood. No way would two vamps in their prime be filled up with a couple of malnourished boys. 

Remembering the night they went to the cabin, the two vampires reasoned that there would be more food there. They could get something for their humans. They'd been permitted to enter. Until the invitation was rescinded, they had access to come and go as they pleased. Jay had said they rented it for the week, so they had a week to get what they needed. The ownership was temporary. There had to be more food than what the five had made. If need be, Cole and Kai could make a fire outside to cook whatever was necessary. 

Neither had any apprehension over why they were so willing to do this. It never even crossed their minds. So readily influenced by fate, the red and black-clad vamps did not detect the subtle changes taking hold. Caring about a lesser’s wellbeing was foreign to them. Yet, here they were. It was easy to delude themselves into thinking of a false basis for their, ironically selfless, actions.

No matter the reason, the fact remained, Jay and Lloyd simply wouldn't survive these conditions. Meaning no more delicious blood. That wasn't something either one of them were willing to give up. The two vamps convinced themselves they were ultimately doing this for the blood. The delicacy of liquid sunshine and summer in a bottle bewitched them. That's what they decided to go with, at least. It seemed denial wasn’t just a human ailment.

If they were going back to the cabin, that meant they needed to leave the boys here. As it stood, the humans weren't going to be of any use. They could barely stand, let alone carry anything. The two vamps would have to be the ones to go. At the thought of leaving the two alone, Cole sniffed. He did not _**like**_ that option at all. He loathed leaving them unattended, it rubbed the noirette raw. 

"We need to do something about them."

"What for? They aren't going anywhere like this. I doubt they could even make it two steps out the door."

While Cole didn't want to leave them alone, Kai made a good point. Jay very well could _**try**_ to escape, but the noirette would hunt him down. He wouldn't get far in the state he was in any way. The boys had no way to orient themselves, let alone navigate to the main road. If they left, they'd be lost. Bumbling around the forest would make them easy to find if they weren't taken out by their hunger first. The red and black-clad vamps would bring them back. They’d tie them down to ensure it _**never**_ happened again. 

He'd etch it into Jay's skin. It didn't matter where he went, Cole's name would mar every inch of his body. Jay didn't necessarily _**need**_ to be able to use all of his limbs. The brunette certainly wouldn't need the use of his eyes or ears either. Come to think of it, Jay wouldn't need much of anything to fulfill his purpose. Cole would break Jay, he'd leave the blue boy a vegetable if left no other choice. 

The noirette would pilfer the blue boy's will to run, if that's what it took. Cole didn't need what made Jay who he was. All he needed was that bright, summery tonic that ran through blue veins. He almost _**wanted**_ the brunette to leave, just so the vampire could show him why that wouldn't be allowed.

If Jay wasn't bound to him already, Cole would do it himself. He'd scorch everything he was, everything he had, into Jay with reckless abandon. The noirette would make the human's resolve bleed out all over the pavement; he'd smash the brunette's tenacity on the jagged rocks of despair. Cole would steal away all of Jay's will power, leaving a beautiful, freckled mannequin behind. Let Jay try and leave. Cole would _**teach**_ the brunette why he was one of the things that went bump in the night. 

Greeted by cool twilight, the auburn-haired vamp led the way back to the cabin. Upon their arrival, they saw a couple of new humans on the premises. Local law enforcement combed the area, picking through the previously macabre scene. They must've come in response to the call Cole placed and found their fallen comrades. The intruders swarmed the area, making it difficult to perform the task at hand. This would not do, there wasn't a way to get in and out without being noticed. Cole smirked, he guessed it wouldn't be so terrible if they _**were**_ noticed.

Creeping up, the red and black demons stayed in the tall grass to avoid being spotted. They took in their new prey. A man and a woman were running in and out of the back door. The cadavers were gone, all that was left was the white painted outlines of their final resting place. The fluorescent, lemon-colored tape shined dimly in the artificial gleam of the porch lights. 

The officers seemed to be searching for something, intently carding through the foliage and flowering plants. They went over every single inch of the abode with precision. Blue, plastic gloves adorned their hands and they held tiny black dusters. Using them to uncover hidden prints wasn't gleaning anything new. Nothing was turning up on the knobs or door handles. The blue light had revealed a very small spattering of blood in the foyer and living room. However, there was way too little to be tested. They spoke to each other with muted words, though Cole and Kai could hear them.

"Have you found anythin' at all? Signs of a fight? Scuff marks?” The gruff annoyance was evident in the fatter man. He appeared to be the one in charge. 

"No, sir, there's nothing. It's like they vanished into thin air." The woman had curly, orange hair that bobbed when she talked. 

"Keep lookin', the boss wants us to see if we can find some clues. We gotta find those two kids."

Deep seeded anticipation sprouted within the two vamps. Kai licked his lips. A sneer graced the demon’s face while Cole boiled. Nothing was taking their humans away from them. No one would ever _**dare**_. Fangs elongated, hanging low on the two vampires' pale, curved smiles. Time was of the essence. 

Cole struck first, taking out the fatter male, shoving him into the wall. Jade glinted with a primal radioactive sheen. The noirette took no time in thrusting his hands through the man's gut. The officer bellowed in anguish, while Cole gripped his entrails. 

Driving his hand upward, the black-clad vamp cleanly sliced the man in half. Perfectly asymmetrical, the two halves fell away from one another. The sound the two sides made when they fell to either side was akin to paper being torn apart. One lung collapsed and deflated, eking out a stream of air. A chunk of brain flopped onto the grass. The filmy membrane stuck to the grey matter, shining a sickly, transparent red. Cole slurped up what he could get from the man's lacerated trachea, which sagged inward and gushed a potent scarlet.

Shredded muscle and tendons leaked into the relative center of where the man was ripped in twain, falling to the ground. His liver and pancreas sloshed onto the dirt in bloody chunks. A clear fluid covered the ground beneath the body mixing with yellow-green bile. His stomach spilled it's contents everywhere, and the steaming acid melted the grass. It wilted and shrank, turning from green to tainted jade. The tobacco he smoked was cloying on Cole's tongue, it disgusted him. This was _**swill**_. He'd been spoiled by what good blood tasted like.

The two halves finally finished their descent, stopping at the untouched waist. The tops of the man's intestines could be seen, pink and angry at their exposure. The carcass slid down, landing with a thud. The force of the impact jostled one dead, brown eye and it fell out of its socket. It dangled on the stock, unseeing. 

The woman screamed, fumbling for her gun in the holster. She aimed at Cole, shooting without caution. He dodged her bullets, laughing at her attempts to harm him, all the while stalking closer. She felt breath on her neck and claws dig into her lower back. Kai stood behind her, pressing his hand inside. He scraped out the fat and gristle, making his way to her spine. She felt every tug and rip of mangled viscera. His hands glistened with ichor and the woman moaned when Kai finally gripped his prize, sending her nerves ablaze with agony. 

His ministrations had left her crippled. Her numb legs sunk in on themselves, but the auburn-haired vamp kept her standing. Kai grabbed the base of her unprotected spine. Drool dribbled out of her mouth as she lost connection to part of herself. Tears, slobber, and snot smeared all over her face; she could only sputter mindlessly from the staticky pain. Kai pulled at her spinal cord eagerly, bracing with his hand on her shoulder. It separated from her pelvis with an audible crack. 

He ripped out each of the woman’s vertebrae, one by one, placing a foot on the back of her leg for leverage. She kneeled forward with every dislodged disc, as they popped and broke free from her ribs with a sick, squelching sound. The bones tore through her skin, emerging with a slurp. Ivory nerve endings snapped along with tightly wound tendons that burst free as Kai pulled. They came up with difficulty, torn from where they were nestled. Each uncovered vertebra followed the arch of the auburn demon's arm, sliding out from the weeping, burgundy abyss on her back. Then, he reached the precipice of her skull. With a hard yank, her spine was severed fully, annihilating her brain stem. 

Instantaneous death followed, and Kai finally let her fall. He dropped her freshly removed spine on the porch stairs with a plop. The female officer's corpse folded in on itself, slightly sagging due to her lack of backbone. Her eyes glazed over and she let out a final, wheezing death rattle before going silent.

Cole came up beside Kai, nudging him to the kitchen. The cabinets were still full of junk food, and they grabbed some of the meat in the fridge. Loaded with as much as they could carry, the two vamps sped through the woods. The crescent moon shone overhead, illuminating the way home.

**XXXXXXXXX**

Through the haze of hunger, Lloyd heard the door open and close. A wave of dizziness overtook the blonde, but he tapped Jay when he didn't hear anything else. Warily, the brunette went for his fallen phone. It still had a sliver of power left in it, so he turned on the flashlight again. He turned the beam and let it touch everywhere it could. It appeared they were by themselves. There were no pinpricks of tarnished gold or dead ivy in the depths.

Tentatively, Jay and Lloyd got to their feet. The blonde wrapped the brunette's arm in his grasp. It was something that had become more common when the green boy attempted to ground himself. The table and chairs were a pale beige in the ghostly bluish gleam of Jay's phone. Nothing else was on the surface, except scattered wooden dinner plates and silverware. There were three places that had been set for a man, woman, and child. A long faded stain had splashed on the floor and up the sides of the furniture. It was a dark, dull grey, seeping into the creaking floorboards permanently.

One of the two vampires sat here as a child. A mother told her husband and son stories over a meager dinner. A family starved here. A family _**died**_ here. Whether it was Kai's or Cole's, it didn't matter, but it made Lloyd shudder. How much of the dust was dust, and how much of it was powdered human remains? It was a one-room home, and the table was the epicenter of life. The three ate, drank, and slept here, trying to make a home.

In this desolate place, a family was trying to keep their bodies and souls together while hunger pains ravished them. Jay felt his body double over as his own stomach caved in. It felt like it was trying to eat itself. Suddenly he understood. Days upon days of this feeling, a mother watched her child suffer. Instead of wanting to watch him waste away, two parents gave their son up. It wasn't selfishness that spurred them, it was mercy. Or so he wanted to believe. Whichever vampire grew up here was in misery, and that was something no decent parent could bear.

Sympathy clawed itself into the two boys. Despite how horrible the vampires were, human empathy tugged at their heartstrings when they saw the barren shelves. No child could understand why they were being sent away. No child could understand that they didn't do anything wrong. That lack of comprehension gave way to betrayal, a betrayal that birthed a monster. 

Lloyd felt for Kai at that moment. There was something small and broken under all the centuries of hate. However, it wasn't enough to make him want to give up this chance, was it? Who knew when another opportunity like this was going to present itself? Freedom was a stone's throw away, just out that door. Even if the green boy died, he'd die free. But something held him back.

That traitorous piece of Lloyd held him in place. He wanted to run, he wanted to abandon everything and just go. The pressure pushed the blonde down with every step he took toward the door. A burden he couldn't comprehend made the green boy heavy with an indescribable feeling. Why was he like this?! The door was right there, he owed it to his sanity to try to escape.

It was _**right**_ there. The barest breath of a step away. The air would caress his face, he would be free. Even if Kai hunted him down, he'd be free. The thought of Kai halted Lloyd. The blonde thought of a smiling child in the vampire's stead. A child full of hope and dreams, before they were brutally taken from him. A burden of misery was forced upon Kai, one he never asked for, and turned him into what he was today. 

Why was Lloyd feeling like this? Why did he care? That abomination took everything from him. Kai scared him. It was a primitive fear that ate the green boy alive. It consumed every fiber of his being. Those tainted golden eyes haunted him and denoted a blazing pit of affliction. The green boy wanted nothing more than to flee, but Lloyd couldn't bring himself to keep moving forward.

That slanderous, unfathomable piece, it completely overpowered the blonde. It engraved itself into his frail psyche, it ordered him still. Lloyd was fixed to his position, resolutely unwavering as he stood by Jay. 

"We… we _**can't**_ leave, Jay."

"I know."

With two words, Jay shared in Lloyd's plight. The blue boy looked around and his heart broke for Cole in a way he couldn't understand. Jay warred with himself over his empathy, his _**stupidity**_ , but the brunette was as helpless against that part of him as Lloyd was. The door, it called to him, it told him to just reach out and push it open. Sovereign freedom was just beyond the threshold. It spoke honied words of deliverance, it promised the _**outside**_. But Jay found himself turning away from it, from the saccharine sweetness of liberation. All because of that piece. That abhorrent piece of Jay told him to stay put. It told him that he was _**needed**_.

They faced their salvation. No matter how fleeting it ended up being, the two of them could taste the amnesty of the forest. Before they were either dragged back here or murdered on the spot, they could be free. It tempted them. Jay felt his basic need for survival rally and heave inside of him, but he still couldn't open the door.

Resigning himself, Jay looked to Lloyd. Sapphire beheld emerald and saw the same spirit of sacrifice in them. Whatever rooted them here, whatever anchored them to the beasts of ruby and onyx, it had taken hold. That flash of empathy, that moment of sadness they felt, it begged to be explored. What was this, this sympathy for the damned?

The brunette sighed. The hand holding his phone dropped, and Lloyd's grip on him loosened. They were staying here. They had to stay here. Lloyd and Jay went to turn around when the door _**opened**_.

**XXXXXXXXX**

For a moment, the two vampires were baffled at seeing the humans standing so close to the front door. When last they left, the other two were sitting together, doubled over with hunger pains and fatigue from blood loss. Humans and their obstinance never failed to amaze them, it was almost respectable. 

For a moment, all stayed hushed with the chill tranquility as the two vampires observed their humans. Then it shattered. Magma-like vexation built in them. Kai and Cole were no strangers to anger, they were always angry. This _**was not**_ that. Something long dead, something nasty, bled through them. It was a horrid feeling, foul and odious, and completely without reason. It was... _**hurt**_. 

Jay was petrified. Normally when Cole was mad, fangs would be in his face, seething and snarling. It was loud. This was a dangerous quiet, and it sent a _**different**_ type of fear through him. It was corporeal. It coagulated between the factions of human and vampire uncomfortably. That smoked jade gaze ignited into a furious emerald inferno, while tainted gold flared with the intensity of the sun.

The red and black-clad vamps had been carrying a few things upon their return, but they’d been thrown to the wayside. The two were rigid. Cole's hands were clenched fists at his sides. Kai's claws were unsheathed and his knuckles cracked ominously. Jay's mouth dried up and Lloyd's grip on him left altogether. The force of the palpable hate stayed their tears.

They blinked and there was _**chaos**_.

Jay was flung to the floor with so much force, he skid against the hardwood. Splinters embedded themselves in the fragile flesh of his hands and forearms. The brunette had the air knocked out of him when Cole's knee crashed into his stomach. He swallowed down his gorge as the noirette rammed it deeper into his gut. Furious jade bore into topaz. 

Flinching from the pain, Jay watched something leak from the corner of Cole's eyes. It was pitch black in the moonlight and fell like rain. Some of it dropped onto Jay's face. The noirette’s fangs were bared in a grimace, his claws pierced through the skin on Jay's shoulders with surprising intent. The vampire glared down at him, those livid, emerald flames licked at his skin. In his periphery, he saw burnt crimson holding golden tresses down.

Kai's hands were at Lloyd's neck, nearly strangling him. The same blood tears Cole had, flowed from molten gold that seared itself into herb green. The blonde was bent back over the table he'd been standing by. Choking filled the room, disbanding the previous silence. Kai let go, and Lloyd gasped at the fresh intake of air. His eyes watered, but he didn't dare turn his head away from Kai. The vampire looked beside himself with fury and what seemed like pain at Lloyd’s perceived treachery. Kai took his claws and raked them down the green boy's chest. The blonde winced, too afraid to cry. Blood rose up from the cuts, but it didn't stop Kai, he kept slashing at Lloyd's chest again and again.

Jay struggled, but the knee in his stomach pressed harder. He watched as fierce talons ripped into his friend. Blood was flinging everywhere. Fresh scarlet fell on old as it dripped down the table. Lloyd was screeching now, the volume rang in Jay's ears. He was desperately trying to push himself up, against Cole, but the vampire didn't move.

The brunette was wriggling under him, trying to get to the other boy. Cole took one hand from Jay's shoulder, using it to constrain the blue boy’s head to the side. Jay's cheek was flush with the dusty floorboards. Bitter spikes of wood stabbed at him. 

"I'll make you _**watch**_."

Cole's voice was cold, ice cold. Jay was still struggling. He didn't know how it had come to this. Lloyd was pure integrity. His smile lit up every place he went. It was so nice watching the blonde discover the real world. This image of him didn't match up with the one he had built for Lloyd. The bloodied chest, his choked cries, they didn't belong near the golden boy. Jay tried to turn his head, he tried to look away, but Cole wouldn't let him. The vampire's hand held him in place and his screaming joined the green boy's. He didn’t want to see Kai claw out Lloyd’s heart.

Incapable of doing anything, Jay kept howling incoherently. He was stuck watching Kai ruin Lloyd. Sapphire dulled to slate as he wept. He had no control over his tears anymore, they fell heedless of the brunette’s will. Blood was splattered on Lloyd's face as Kai hacked through cartilage and muscle. Lost in his fury, the auburn-haired vamp was consumed by what could only be heartbreak. Lloyd caught his hands with a pained cry and Kai lunged forward at the contact. Fangs snapped centimeters from the blond's eyes. 

Kai was wild, he flexed his wrists, ripping them away from Lloyd. He breached the flesh on the blonde’s face, cutting deeply into the green boy's cheek. Claws struck bone, but Kai did not enjoy the frenzy, not this time. He didn't enjoy the way red broke green. The red-clad vamp was too torn up inside, too consumed with the ancient memory of being tossed away.

"Stop!"

"Please, stop!"

" **WE WEREN'T TRYING TO LEAVE!!** "

Jay's shout was primal and raw. Cole looked down at him, shocked that something like that came out of the brunette. He was a timid, frightened thing, but the yell that came out of him was animalistic. It was said thoughtlessly, but it rang true. Kai stopped in his fervor, staring at a bloodied Lloyd who could only sob. The red-clad vamp retreated to the still open front door as if burned. The green boy slid to the floor and huddled under the table.

" **WE WEREN'T TRYING TO** **LEAVE** **!!** ”

Jay was devoured by his own terror. He didn't see that Kai had stopped, he didn’t see that Lloyd was still alive. All he saw was the red demon tearing into his friend repeatedly. He kept screaming the same phrase over and over. Those bright blue eyes diluted to grey, lamenting. 

Cole studied him, ready to pounce on Jay’s lies, but found none. With a gentleness he thought he left behind, the noirette got off the blue boy. Jay immediately sat up, not caring how his undoubtedly broken ribs protested. Like a man possessed, Jay made his way to the bloodied, crying, Lloyd. The brunette reached out to touch him, expecting the cool feeling of dying flesh. 

The blonde flinched, letting out another screech at Jay's touch, screaming,“No more! Please, no more!”

The sound bought the tiniest spark back to Jay, but his eyes still remained a shattered silver. He pulled the blonde to him, stroking the green boy’s shaking back. 

"We weren't trying to leave."

"We weren't trying to leave."

The two vampires surveyed them, speechless. How many times had people screamed because of them? How many times had people cried and begged? How many times had they done this now? It wasn't relevant, but every time they had, it elated them. Carnage brought smiles to their faces, death and decay soothed them. It had always been that way. 

But Jay's broken mutterings didn't bring them any joy. His descent into terror didn't make them laugh. It bought out an ugliness in them both. Lloyd's blood coated Kai’s hands, but it didn't make him happy. He thought he'd love staining the emerald red.

He didn't.

It left Kai sick as the boy sobbed. He looked at Cole for guidance. What were they supposed to do? The noirette was still crouched on the floor, stoic. He hadn't turned his gaze away from the two. It didn't look like the other vampire had any ideas, so Kai looked back at them.

Green hid in blue, trying to shield himself away from harm. The blue boy was still muttering that phrase, arms wrapped around Lloyd. He was rocking back and forth, unaware of his surroundings. A part of the vampire broke and he wondered, briefly, what happened.

Neither Kai nor Cole had lost control like in a long time. Not since… The red boy stiffened. The auburn-haired vamp reached past the jar of his humanity, the containers of his hopes and dreams, and grabbed the box of memories. It stood, untouched, in the back of his mind.

Kai remembered the waxing and waning of the sea. He stood next to Cole on the ship. The waves on the way to the New World seemed brighter back then. The white crests slapped against the bow of the ship, spraying them with sea breeze and salt. The sun seemed warmer when the red boy took his mother's hand and stepped onto the beach.

The green of the trees greeted them, and their fathers set to work building their homes. He was thirteen then, he and Cole were men. They helped their dads chop down the trees. They built their homes of wood and stone with bare hands. They plowed the now overgrown fields and planted crops. Crops that never grew. They watered them, rotated them, but they never grew.

The mountain woman came then, granting them hope, in exchange for Kai and Cole. He remembered Cole’s father sending her away, and then winter came. Kai remembered starving, imploding, and wasting away. He remembered the look in his mother's eyes when she finally had enough. The mountain woman returned, alight with triumph. His parents were tight-lipped when they gave them away, not once did they cry.

Kai remembered dying, he knew Cole did too. He was spasming and heaving when his soul was ripped from him, and his heart constricted. The fire lit in him then, Kai was changed. The boy he was became nothing but a brute that knew the sting of being left to rot. Vengeance surged in him, dropping the auburn boy into endless rage.

He doesn't remember killing his parents.

Kai blacked out in his hate, and when he came to, there wasn't anything left but scraps of flesh and blood on the ground. Cole panted next to him, black tainting eyes that were once as green as Lloyd's. The red-clad vamp smelled the magic in the air. He smelled the magic on them, he smelled how the Devil knew them. Then he smelled the magic all over the land.

The mountain woman's magic. It had tainted their home, their crops, and their parents. She took all they had. She _**deceived**_ them. Kai remembers her death. The look of muted shock was clear when her powers failed her. He recalled the terror flooding her, making her scent sour when they tore her to shreds. All that was left was his hate. There was no remorse for his parents, they gave him to her, just like she wanted. They weren't strong enough. He _**wasn't**_ strong enough.

The boy that he used to be, he died hundreds of years ago. He was replaced with something that only sought to ruin. Like he was ruined. Like they were ruined. Cole carved a bloody path through history with him. He was tarnished with him. Cole was all he had. But Kai wanted _**more**_. 

Lloyd's sobbing subsided and Jay was finally, thankfully quiet. Cole eventually turned to him and wordlessly bade him forward. The two vampires made their way to the table and squatted down with the humans. Tenderly, Kai touched Lloyd's hair and the blonde peered up at him. 

The green boy leapt back, but the auburn-haired vamp went with him. Kai remembered what his mother would do when he was afraid. Softly, he pulled the trembling human into his lap and rubbed circles into Lloyd’s neck. He curled himself tightly into a fetal position on Kai's chest, scared out his mind. When Lloyd realized nothing bad was going to befall him, the green boy unwillingly relaxed.

Cole was holding Jay to him. The boy's dead eyes lit up some, but he otherwise made no sound. Aside from taking shuddering breaths, the brunette was a statue. The noirette clutched him, whispering softly. 

"We're so **_sorry_**."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know if anyone actually reads these, but I was really angry when I wrote this. I was in a weird place, when I wrote it because I was sleep deprived and my neighbors were being asses. They’re always stomping or screaming. Any, I got some of that frustration out.


	5. Hyacinth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When you know you fucked up.
> 
> Read and review. Please read my notes to understand the mentality of this chapter. See below.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is short and sweet. The carnage is by no means over, not at all, I'm setting up a meeting with Shaw and our boys. It will not end well for the detective. We also see a bit more of Shaw's character. The thing that I was most excited to write was the affects of Wu's soul bond. It affects both parties by helping them to understand each other. 
> 
> A soul to live and a soul to burn, what it means is that the vampires are learning to feel from the humans. However, the vampires are creatures of the Devil. Inherently evil, that's going to rub off on Jay and Lloyd, it's going to make them "darker" in a sense. Wu couldn't get rid of that, the magic of the Devil is powerful, but that will be explained more later on.

Guilt was such a foreign emotion to Cole, but seeing Jay so despondent had pulled the long-dead feeling out of him. Sapphire eyes had dulled to slate grey, they listlessly stared at nothing. The near-colorless orbs were glossy, they had more tears to shed, but were rendered incapable of doing so. The blue boy had not moved an inch from the spot under the table, he simply sat. This was so different from the Jay he met, Cole had trouble believing they were the same person.

It was eating at the black-clad vamp. So many others had fallen into despair before him, but it never bothered him before. Their broken spirits and glazed eyes never stirred anything within him. It had been a game. Taunting them, tormenting them, seeing just how far he could push them before they broke. Killing families in front of children, making them watch until they wished for death, until they begged him to end it all. Cole would always oblige once he and Kai had their fun. 

This was different. Seeing Jay, he was so much like a marionette with the strings cut, made Cole uneasy. Especially those eyes, those colorless, emotionless eyes. They were hollowed and ghost-like, completely devoid of anything. They weren’t human. They didn’t belong to the blue boy, they didn’t belong to anyone who claimed to be alive. The brunette didn’t even react to his broken ribs. Jay was breathing so shallowly, he was akin to a statue.

Remorse crawled through the noirette, at least Cole thought it was remorse. He couldn’t look at Jay for too long without wanting to turn away. It sloshed its way into the bottom of his stomach and made a home there. It was a thick feeling that twisted the noirette into knots. It lodged itself into Cole’s throat, threatening to overflow with its rancid taste. The black-clad vamp decided he did not like remorse, and he was even less of a fan of guilt. They were eating at Cole, taking tandem bites out of him, until there was nothing left of his resolve. 

The brunette would not eat. Cole had tried to give him some of the snacks he’d gathered, but Jay acted like there was nothing there. The noirette was at a loss of what to do. He was even more puzzled as to why he felt the need to **_do_ ** anything in the first place. It had never felt wrong to want to care for Jay, to take Jay with him, to have Jay there. More and more, Cole was coming to see that he was wholly and truly bound to the brunette. That’s why this felt so much worse. That’s _**why**_ Cole cared. 

Kai looked at Lloyd, weighed down by the cruel mistress known as guilt like his fellow vamp. The bloody chasms he’d carved into the blonde were sticky with gore. The red vamp’s claws had shorn the skin straight through the epidermis, they ripped up fat and the lower layers of the epidermis. In some places, you could see the muscles of his pectorals. Every time Lloyd moved, fresh crimson sprouted, coating his ruined white shirt anew. Kai flinched when he saw pus starting to ooze out in an attempt to heal the blonde. If left on its own, the blonde would take weeks to recover, that is, if he survived the resulting infection.

The blonde was curled in on himself, shuddering with the effort of breathing. He felt cold, no matter what he did, Lloyd couldn’t get warm without hurting himself further. Still on Kai’s lap, he subconsciously leaned into the vampire, silently asking for help. It was foolish to think that such a creature had any concept of mercy, but Lloyd wasn’t in his right mind. He was unraveling at the seams, falling ever more into madness and strife. 

Tentatively, Kai reached for Lloyd, as one reached for a scared child, and tugged off the tattered shirt. The fabric pulling out of the wounds caused fresh blood to well up. It made the blonde to hiss at the feeling of viscid material tearing from congealed gore. The shirt was tossed to the ground with a wet slap, it fell to the dust-covered floor in a heap. He did not fight Kai, there was nothing left in him to fight. He quietly allowed the auburn-haired vamp to do what he wanted, Lloyd knew it would go better for him if he did. 

A foreign trepidation overwhelmed Kai. When he saw Lloyd, so close to freedom, so close to leaving him, the vampire snapped. The memories of feeling disposable haunted him. Kai had never been what his parents wanted, he would never be. Everything the red boy did, every action, was scrutinized and judged by standards that were never made in his favor. The crops never grew, so Kai’s parents blamed him for it. If the auburn boy had been better, maybe his parents wouldn’t have been so eager to throw him away.

Alas, walking through that door and seeing Lloyd there, looking for all the world like he was about to leave Kai too, lit a cold flame in the vampire. Hurt boiled and simmered in the red-clad vamp, tainting him from the inside out. Was Kai not good enough for a human? Was he not good enough for anyone? If he was so unwanted, so fiendish, and so **_unloveable_** , then he’d show the blonde how much of a monster he could be. Pulling back the veil, Kai showed Lloyd what half a millennia of degradation could do.

Every bit of his unresolved hate, rage, and grief poured into him, and he tore it into Lloyd. He carved it into his skin, he branded it onto his bones, only to find that the green boy wasn’t planning on leaving him. The blood on his hands, though sweet, didn’t deserve to be there. There was only one thing he could do.

A slick muscle touched Lloyd’s bare chest, and the green boy took a moment to realize Kai’s tongue was tracing over his nipple. The rose-kissed buds stiffened under the gentle ministrations, making a heat pool in the blonde’s core. The wet appendage stung at the cuts on his torso, the ache in his bones melded seamlessly with warmth emanating from Kai’s tongue. 

Flicking upward, Kai arched the flexible organ to get a particularly deep gash. The saliva seeped into it, spurring the healing process. New flesh filled the lacerations, it looked almost perfect, if not for the presence of pale scars. Every movement of Kai’s tongue sent stars through Lloyd’s vision, pleasure babbled in him like a brook flowing down into his loins. The green boy could feel himself hardening, as Kai’s heat swirled over his nipples, collar bone, cheek, and down his abs. The pain was subsiding with each probing swipe.

Panting, the blonde razed with arousal, and Kai had no idea what he was doing. With one last languid lick, the red-clad vampire finished healing Lloyd. Gold surveyed the green boy’s chest, satisfied, before focusing on his face. The vampire was taken aback by the wild blush that had bloomed on the blonde’s cheeks. The plush pink curve of Lloyd’s lips parted in a provocative O shape, a bit of drool was falling out of the corner of his mouth. The blonde seemed a bit breathless. 

Lloyd’s scent of sunshine and lemonade was permeating the air, assaulting Kai’s senses. It was so much more potent, it made it hard for the vampire to keep his desires in check. The aroma saturated his taste buds. Kai found himself crushing the green boy to him, breathing it in. Nosing the crook of his neck, the red-clad vampire closed glowing amber eyes. Sun spun tresses leaned back against a brawny shoulder, while Lloyd got himself under control. 

Having long since given up on making sense of what was going on, the blonde allowed himself to fall into the tantalizing feeling of being desired. His soul sang, Lloyd felt complete when he was so close to the vampire. This was where he was **_supposed_ ** to be. That piece of him, that terrible, amazing piece, intoned with bliss and sensuality. 

Cole looked over, the scent of Lloyd had shocked him. How in the hell had Kai pulled that off? It always bothered the noirette how the other vampire seemed to understand things faster than he did. Taking in the renewed appearance of the blonde, it didn’t take Cole any time to put two and two together. The auburn-haired vamp had restored the green boy in one of the most pleasurable ways possible. He glanced back to Jay, an idea forming. 

The muscular vampire picked up the brunette boy, then made his way to the other two. Slowly he crouched down in front of Lloyd. The blonde was a bit more composed now, Cole mused, but he had a job to do. Delicately shifting Jay’s head to look at his friend, the black-clad vamp bade the brunette’s soulless eyes forward. Taking a hand, the noirette smoothed his fingers through unruly brown hair and spoke in the most soothing tone he could muster. 

“Look, Bluebell. Emerald’s okay now.”

Glossy, grey eyes stayed colorless for the barest breadth of time, then sparked with resurrected sapphire. Brightened blue overtook formless grey, wet tears sprang to life, pouring like rain. They fell easily, without sobs or anguish, and the blue boy reached out to Lloyd. Jay’s slender hand stopped just short of the other’s, knowing how much the vampires hated when they touched. Deciding to allow it just this once, Cole caught Kai’s gaze, conveying all he needed to ask. 

Cole’s larger hand gripped Jay’s fragile wrist and pulled it to Lloyd’s. Kai nudged the blonde forward, who, in turn, grabbed Jay’s trembling palm with his own. Lacing their fingers together, the green boy gave the brunette a small smile. More gemstone tears made their ways down Jay’s face and he smiled back. Sobbing in earnest, the blue boy went to wrap himself around Lloyd’s neck while Cole held him. Kai watched from over the blonde’s shoulder, never once incensed by the display. Both of their humans had needed that. If it was just for reassurance, the vampires could tolerate the two being affectionate with each other. 

Sitting back, Cole took Jay with him, he needed to fix the rest of what he did. The noirette couldn’t heal broken bones with his saliva. Softly nipping into his wrist, Cole held his bleeding wound to his mouth. He sucked his own blood, before tilting Jay to him. Slotting their lips together, the black-clad vamp kissed the smaller boy.

Lazily prying the blue boy’s mouth open, Cole slid the blood from his lips to Jay’s. Pushing his tongue as far as it would go, he tipped the other’s head back. Caressing Jay’s stock still muscle, Cole made the brunette swallow everything he’d given. The effect was immediate, ribs cracked into place, but Cole wasn’t done. Jay moaned, half in pain and half in surprise, and the noirette soaked it in. He drank in every sound, touched the underside of the blue boy’s tongue, and mapped out the wet cavern. Cole was besotted by the summer citrus of the boy. 

With difficulty, the kiss was broken. With care, the noirette pressed his palm onto Jay’s ribs, glad they were where they should be. The blue boy was gawking at him, the expression was cute, like a little gaping fish. Those freckled cheeks were dusted a pretty cerise, those thankfully sapphire eyes were wide. Jay sat precariously on the black-clad vamp’s knee, he appeared to be in no rush to move. 

Before he could talk himself out of it, Jay encased Cole’s neck in his arms and put his head on his chest in silent thanks. The brunette didn’t want anyone to see the questions on his face, he was so confused. The noirette undoubtedly scarred him, but in moments like this, the blue boy was, dare he say, elated. Half of him wanted this, wanted to be here, and Jay was finally understanding why. 

Kai and Cole hadn’t told the full story, they were hiding something. Jay hazarded a guess, it had to do with the two vampires imprinting on them. There was a mystery shrouded around their actions, even when they first met in the forest, it was like they’d been drawn there. Something else was at play, Jay could feel it in the way they held them. He wanted to ask, he wanted to know, what was it they **_weren’t_ ** saying? Something hushed him, it said it would come in due time.

Stomach growling, Jay’s blush took an embarrassed turn, making Cole grin maliciously at him. As soft as he could be, the noirette was still on the right side of terrifying. Picking Jay up, Cole grabbed some of the packaged snacks and sat down again. This time he sat the blue boy in his lap, much like Lloyd sat in Kai’s. The vampire passed a couple of bags to his fellow immortal, opening up the sweets for Jay.

The brunette tried being dignified, he truly did, but he was famished and soon the food was gone. Cole chuckled, holding the blue boy close, thumbing idly at the waistband of the other’s jeans. Jay chomped on a new bag of snacks, subconsciously shifting closer to Lloyd, though he never left the noirette’s lap. 

So this was what forgiveness felt like. 

Cole could get used to this.

**XXXXXXXXX**

Shaw was many things. He was strong, he’d seen so much in his life nothing swayed him anymore. He was level-headed, he could make snap decisions at the drop of a hat. He was a good shot. He was a great detective, his record was nigh unparalleled. 

Shaw was also a coward.

Tracy and James had not returned to the precinct, he’d found them this morning. The detective knew then, if he hadn’t already before, what killed them was not of this world. Forensics collected the remains of his friends. Shaw thought he'd seen everything… he was sorely mistaken. 

James had gone to the academy with him. He recalled the platinum blonde crew cut and broad chest of his then in shape friend. James had an easy smile and an even easier laugh. Over the years, that smile and laugh became few, far, and in between. Whenever it appeared, the whole station would light up with him. A friendship was forged over blood, sweat, tears, and several bottles of Jim Beam. Together, Shaw and James solved cases, bought bad guys to justice, and tackled the beast called paperwork. James was the best man at Shaw’s wedding. He let him sleep on his couch when she divorced him. 

They shared so much of life, and now he was gone, along with the new intern. Tracy was hardworking, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, in lieu of everyone else’s jaded spirit. She could also brew a mean cup of coffee. The woman was tenacious, when she sank her teeth into something, there was no getting her to let go. Her quick wit was only matched by her indomitable will. 

Their broken and mangled bodies sat in the morgue, too fucked up to be adequately put back together. Cause of death: The same bear that killed those kids a few days ago. He’d already spoken to the media, the owners of Brookstone Cabin, and the local hunting party. Tomorrow, Shaw would be leading a couple townsmen on a hunt into the forest, to kill the animal responsible. It was necessary.

Of course, Shaw already knew this wasn’t a bear attack. The detective was only doing what was demanded of him. The people needed to see he was doing his job properly. They had to know they were in safe hands. His reputation hinged on it. The real answer, the truth, it was too inconceivable. The detective knew it wasn’t a bear, it was completely ridiculous anyone believed it was. 

People were sheep, always would be, they needed an answer to everything, even if the answer wasn’t possible. Shaw knew how to work the system. What the detective said was law. No bear was capable of any of the carnage they found. 

Convincing the Brookstone’s to sell the cabin was easier than he thought. Letting them know the animal was still terrorizing the forest, he told them no one would rent a place where three young adults were murdered. They renounced ownership and gave it up to the state as soon as possible. Once it was on the market, Shaw would buy it for a steal. Trying to get his wife back was the goal. If he showed her he could support her, the detective could have the best thing he ever had back.

All he needed was the lie. 

The bear was the story they were going with, and he wasn’t going to look into it otherwise. Doing his friend justice, doing three kids justice, that didn’t matter. Something not of this world murdered five people, and Shaw wanted no part in finding it. Whatever it was, it was much more than he could handle. The detective could not afford to lose his position. He could not afford to lose this opportunity. No, he would be the hero. He would bring the monstrous animal to justice, and he would be praised for his police work. Shaw would be a legend once he closed the case, the bear’s hide would be bought back as his trophy. 

No one needed to know.

Shaw was a coward.

**XXXXXXXXX**

Jay and Lloyd sat on a log outside the cabin, while Kai cooked some meat over the fire. Being a settler wasn’t something you could forget, he and Cole still knew the basics. So many things were ingrained in them, that no matter how much they changed, their upbringing was apparent. 

It was annoying that there wasn’t anything to eat the meat with. There wasn't even anything to eat it on. Lloyd had been scandalized, his pedigree showing, but the blonde sucked it up and ate the chicken. Kai would feed it to him if the vampire had the chance. That would just be mortifying. Jay was less bothered by the lack of civilized utensils and just guzzled it down in huge bites. He asked for more, and Cole was happy to make it happen. 

The scene was domestic, if anyone stumbled across them, they would look like two couples eating by a campfire. Slap that on a postcard and call it romantic, some sleazy businessman would make millions off of it. Lloyd snorted at the thought. 

After everything that happened, the last thing he expected was to be comfortable with the vampire that killed the majority of his friends and nearly did him in. The air around Kai had softened, just like those eyes of tainted sunlight. The darkness in them was ebbing away, tarnished gold was becoming a soft amber. The blonde saw pieces fitting themselves back together in the vampire, he was becoming whole. Lloyd wondered why.

Jay sat next to him, contemplating the same thing, breaking down what happened. When the brunette was screaming his lungs out, instinctively, he had the words to say. Black tears were running down Cole’s face, but he wasn’t angry, far from it. The noirette was _**afraid**_. He was afraid of Jay, afraid he’d never see the blue boy gain. The black-clad vamp had never learned how to express himself healthily, so he did the only thing he could: Cole broke Jay.

Cole broke him so he couldn’t leave, he didn’t realize Jay was choosing to stay. The blue boy stood on the precipice of freedom and _**willingly**_ chose captivity. He was tied to the noirette, and he was tired of fighting it. It was fucked and terrible and everything wrong with the world, but the brunette couldn’t stand against whatever was telling him to stay. Jay found that he didn’t want to. Rationality eroded, giving way to the resignation beneath. He’d lost to himself, and Jay didn’t care.

God, what had he become? Lloyd was, without a doubt the same way. As out of it as he had been, the brunette heard the tiny, breathy moans Kai pulled out of him. They were both falling, falling fast. It was changing them, breaking them down, and casting them out, naked into the sun. This had been present in them, hidden beneath everything wholesome and good, this sinful desire for danger. It always lay just underneath the surface. It had been in them from the very beginning. 

_**A soul to live, and a soul to burn**_. 

As Cole grew softer, Jay grew darker. They were reaching each other in equal steps, fitting together like yin and yang. The brunette looked at Cole, he looked at those teeth and he _**desired**_ that bite. He would never tell him, but Jay thought the vampire already figured it out. Those black-green eyes seemed to always be able to see through him.

Cole and Kai put the fire out, but made no move to take the two boys inside. Instead, they wrapped up both of their respective boys in a cool embrace. The night air was chilly, but not uncomfortably so, it circulated loquaciously. The last time they’d been in the woods and it was this dark, it had been a horrifying experience.

Peaceful was the word that came to mind, but it immediately soured like acid in Jay’s mouth. It shouldn’t be like this, there shouldn’t be anything peaceful about it. The brunette should just go with it, this was tearing him up inside. It was chaotic inside Jay’s mind, there were two opposing factions within his psyche, they were taking a toll on him. If he could just block out the last few days, the blue boy would rest easier.

Speaking of rest, sleeping in this damn shack was making Jay’s back hurt. He needed a fucking bed, or at least something soft to sleep on. With this newfound care, Jay supposed he could try asking if there was something to be done. Something told the brunette Cole would do whatever he asked, the black-clad vampire had gotten the blue boy food without him opening his mouth. 

Lloyd was still shirtless, there wasn’t any way to replace his shirt, and there was no way he’s put on his blood-soaked one. He could feel every wrinkle in Kai’s shirt rubbing up against him. Shivering, the blonde turned to straddle the vampire, tucking himself into the crook of his neck. Conscience be damned, the green boy was so tired of his rationale battling his instincts. This felt good.

Taken off guard, Kai embraced Lloyd with stilted movements. The iciness of the blonde’s upper body seeped into the red-clad vamp. Cole’s ramshackle cottage would not be enough to keep them warm. The vampire reasoned they could grab blankets from the cabin, but the floor was filthy, and their humans were filthy too. The only real thing to do was to clean it and bring their stuff here. 

There’s no way Kai would subject Lloyd to the hell he put him through by taking him back to Brookstone Cabin. This place belonged to Cole, no one could take it from them. The red-clad vamp wished he hadn’t burned down his own home in a fit of rage. How was he supposed to know he’d need it later?! Kai never believed Wu in the first damn place, then life smacked him in the face with the green boy. The moment he saw him, Kai did everything in his power to possess Lloyd. He was his, he was _**always**_ his.

The auburn-haired vamp made a sweeping motion to get Cole to look over. The noirette had Jay sitting across his knees, the blue boy’s legs dangled over the side. They should’ve done it earlier, but someone needed to get the bags and something warm from the cabin. _**Tomorrow**_ , they’d clean up Cole’s family cottage and make it more proper.

Tomorrow.


End file.
